Utkala kamala bilisadirghika, marela malini nilambu Chilika,’ wrote late poet Radhanath Ray in the 19th century, about the blue, wildlife-abound waters of Chilika Lake in Odisha. It is in these words, artist Sitikanta Samantsinghar found the title of his ongoing exhibition, Nilambu: The Body of Blue Waters, at Nine Fish Art Gallery.

Chilika lake, the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia and a crucial habitat for South Asian migratory birds, is a victim of the climate change. The evidence lies in the massive decline in species that once migrated to this waterbody. “Once, over 256 recorded species of birds that would migrate to Chilika. This number has reduced to 160 species today,” Samatsinghar, who lives near the lake and has witnessed the transformation closely, informs us.