Bhubaneswar1 minute ago
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On Friday, a huge tornado (waterspout or tornado) suddenly appeared in the famous Chilka lake of Odisha, due to which the tourists roaming on the lake shore got scared after seeing the sight and started running towards a safe place.
This tornado formed in the south-west direction of Devi Kalijai Temple when hundreds of tourists were visiting the lake. Due to sudden change in air pressure, this curved circle was formed in the middle of the lake, which appeared to rise to the sky for a few minutes.
Many people recorded this scene on their mobile phones. Local people call this type of tornado ‘Hathisundha’, because its shape looks like the trunk of an elephant. After some time this tornado gradually disappeared.
Later the videos of this incident went viral. Earlier, similar tornadoes were seen in Chilka Lake in 2018 and 2019, but this time the sight was even bigger and clearer.
Such incidents are rarely seen in India.
Meteorologist Vishwajit Sahu said- ‘Such incidents are usually seen in the maritime areas of America and Canada. Their occurrence is very rare in India, although such tornadoes sometimes form near the Bay of Bengal. These incidents are very rare in Odisha.
Waterspouts form when warm and moist air rises and meets cold and dry air. In this process, the air starts rotating and an upward rotating circle is formed, which looks like a tornado.
Chilka Lake is also called the water paradise of India.
A large number of tourists come here during the summer season, it is a favorite destination for them.
Chilka Lake is the largest brackish water lake in India. This lake of Odisha is famous worldwide for its beauty and biodiversity.
Chilka Lake is situated on the east coast of Odisha. It is connected to the Bay of Bengal. In Odisha, it is spread between the districts of Puri, Ganjam and Khordha, about 60 kilometers from Bhubaneswar.
There are more than 225 fish species in the lake. More than 10 lakh migratory birds also come in winter. Flamingos, Siberian ducks and white-bellied sea eagles are common here.
The livelihood of more than 1.5 lakh people of more than 100 villages situated in the middle of Chilka depends on fish. No matter the caste, everyone here is a fisherman.
Its length is 70 km and width is 30 km, in which more than 40 small rivers and rain water come.
There are 6 huge islands here – Parikud, Phulbari, Berahpura, Nuapara, Nalbada and Tampara. All of them are part of Krishna Prasad revenue area of Puri district.
Devi Kalijai Temple is situated in the middle of the lake. Many tourists come here. Boating and tourism are the main attractions in the lake.
Fish is the main source of income for about 100 villages located near Chilka.
