Contours are lines drawn on a map, joining points of equal height above the sea level (
mean sea level). In the past, the water level in the lake was between contour 7 and 10 during the monsoon, and it fell to contour 3 during the dry season. The area in contour 3 is 135 square kilometres and the area in contour 10 is 901 square kilometres. These conditions do not prevail any more with fish tanks and roads occupying most of the lake. The local fishing community known as
Suryavansha Vaddis say that from the times of 13th century during
Eastern Ganga Dynasty rule they have had descendant rights on Kolleru Lake; they have appealed to the government to decrease from +5 contour (308 km2) to +3 contour (135 km2), asserting that they were protectors of birds from
Langula Gajapathi Raju period. == See also ==