Vembanad Lake Kumarakom

The Vembanad Lake is the general name given to the vast expanse of backwater, which stretches from Alleppey to Cochin. A narrow barrier island separates the Vembanad Lake from the Arabian Sea. Vembanad Lake is pronounced by different names in different districts of Kerala. In Alleppey, it is called as Punnamada Lake; in Kochi as Kochi Lake; and in Kumarakom (Kottayam) as Vembanadu Lake. The Vembanad Wetland System is the largest in India and has been incorporated in the National Wetlands Conservation Program. Its length is about 96 kilometer, its maximum breadth 14 kilometer at some places, the average width being about three kilometer and its depth is 14 meter. It is the longest lake in India and the largest backwater water-body (lake) in Kerala. The lake covers area of about 2033 sq km. The Vembanad Lake lying between Alleppey and Cochin derives its name from Vembolinadu. Though the lake is fed by ten rivers but primarily six important rivers of central Kerala discharge their waters into Vembanad Lake, namely, the Achenkovil, the Muvattupuzha, the Pamba, the Meenachil, the Periyar and the Manimala rivers.