Chilika Bank$ (2008)

'Chilika Bank$' traces 40 years of ecological changes in Asia's largest brackish water lake. Situated in the state of Orissa, Chilika is a vast lake spread over three districts in the state. In the lake almost 50 rivers & rivulets merge with the water from the Bay of Bengal, making it a rare mixture of saline & fresh water. Chilika has a unique bio-diversity with many endangered species of flora & marine fauna. The film traces the changes in the lake since the export of the Prawns began in the 1970s. The gradual changes in the society, its values and relation with the lake. The film is told from the perspective of a banyan tree on the shores of Chilika who is a witness to these changes. The 1980s when the lake was over-fished; the 1990s when aqua culture began in a big way, further endangering Chilika's ecology; and 2001 when, in order to prevent the imbalance of salt and fresh water in the lake, the controversial 'artificial sea mouth' was opened - a decision that continues to threaten the livelihoods of the fisher-people and the life of the lake herself.