Sir Vere Henry Levinge,[1] the then Collector of Madurai, was instrumental in creating the lake in 1863, amidst the Kodaikanal town which was developed by the British and early missionaries from USA.

[5] A railway line extended from Chennai to Tirunelveli with an intermediate station at Ammaianayakkanur (later renamed Kodai Road) was built in 1875, to provide a gateway to Kodaikanal town and there on to the lake through a foot trek of 18 km from the railhead.

Many aquatic insect larvae and adults, molluscs, cladocerans and the fish Danio aequipinnatus, Rasbora, one spot barb, daniconius and Gambusia affinis are reported.

[9] Human health risk assessment of the physico-chemical parameters of the lake water[10] reveals that: The Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India has initiated a Centrally Sponsored Scheme called the National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP), since June, 2001, on 70:30 cost sharing basis between the Central Government and the respective State Government, with the objective of restoring and conserving the polluted and degraded lakes in urban and semi urban areas in the country.

[4] Treatment and eco-restoration works for the Kodaikanal Lake were undertaken by the Government of Tamil Nadu with funds provided by the Govt.

of India, under the above stated cost sharing formula, by the National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, to abate pollution and, thereby benefit the local and floating population.