MAJOR LAKES OF INDIA — TYPES, DISTRIBUTION AND SIGNIFICANCE

PRERNA FOR IAS

         Mehnat Aapki, Guidance Humari

         Roz ki Prelims Practice — Experts ke Saath

MAJOR LAKES OF INDIA — TYPES, DISTRIBUTION AND SIGNIFICANCE

1. Introduction

• India has a wide variety of lakes formed by tectonic activity, glacial action, river processes, coastal deposition, volcanic activity and human intervention.
• Lakes are important for water storage, irrigation, fisheries, tourism, biodiversity, groundwater recharge and flood moderation.
• NCERT identifies lakes as an important component of India’s drainage system and highlights their ecological and economic value.

2. Wular Lake — Jammu and Kashmir

• Wular Lake, located in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir, is one of India’s largest freshwater wetlands.
• It is associated with the Jhelum River, which flows through the lake.
• Wular acts as a major natural flood-storage basin in the Kashmir Valley and supports fisheries, irrigation and bird habitats.
• It was designated a Ramsar Site in 1990 and covers about 18,900 hectares under the Ramsar designation. (Ramsar Sites Information Service)

3. Dal Lake — Jammu and Kashmir

• Dal Lake, situated in Srinagar, is one of India’s most famous urban lakes and a major tourism landmark.
• It is known for houseboats, shikaras, floating gardens and lotus cultivation.
• The lake has strong cultural and economic importance for Srinagar, although it faces problems of pollution, eutrophication and encroachment.

4. Chilika Lake — Odisha

• Chilika Lake is a large brackish-water lagoon on the eastern coast of Odisha and is connected with the Bay of Bengal.
• NCERT identifies Chilika as India’s largest salt-water lake, while the Chilika Development Authority describes it more precisely as the largest brackish-water lagoon on India’s east coast. (NCERT)
• Its water spread varies seasonally from roughly 900 to 1,165 sq. km.
• It is a major wintering ground for migratory waterbirds and an important habitat for the Irrawaddy dolphin. (Chilika)

5. Loktak Lake — Manipur

• Loktak Lake in Manipur is the largest freshwater lake of north-eastern India.
• It is famous for floating masses of vegetation, soil and organic matter known as phumdis.
• Keibul Lamjao National Park, located on floating phumdis, is the natural habitat of the endangered Sangai deer.
• Loktak supports fisheries, irrigation, hydropower and local livelihoods.

6. Sambhar Lake — Rajasthan

• Sambhar Lake is Rajasthan’s most important inland saline lake and one of India’s major salt-producing wetlands.
• It is a shallow, closed-basin lake located in an arid environment and receives water from seasonal streams.
• It is internationally important for migratory birds, especially flamingos, and is a designated Ramsar Site covering about 24,000 hectares. (Ramsar Sites Information Service)

7. Pangong Tso and High-Altitude Lakes

• Pangong Tso is a spectacular high-altitude endorheic lake in the Ladakh region, extending across the India–China boundary.
• Its water is saline to brackish despite its high-altitude location.
• High-altitude lakes are ecologically fragile and are highly sensitive to climatic and hydrological changes.

8. Pong Dam Lake — Himachal Pradesh

• Pong Dam Lake, also known as Maharana Pratap Sagar, is an artificial reservoir created on the Beas River.
• It has developed into an important wetland habitat for migratory waterbirds.
• The site is internationally recognised under the Ramsar Convention and also supports fishing, tourism and water management. (Ramsar Sites Information Service)

9. Nainital and Bhoj Wetland

• Nainital Lake in Uttarakhand is a tectonic lake located in the Kumaon Himalaya and forms the centre of the hill town of Nainital.
• Bhoj Wetland at Bhopal includes the Upper and Lower Lakes and is important for drinking water, urban ecology and recreation.
• Many urban lakes face increasing pressure from sewage, encroachment, solid waste and unplanned construction.

10. Overall Significance and Conservation

• Indian lakes may broadly be classified as freshwater, saline, brackish, glacial, tectonic, oxbow and artificial lakes or reservoirs.
• They regulate local hydrology, support biodiversity, sustain fisheries and tourism, and provide livelihood opportunities.
• Major threats include siltation, pollution, invasive species, excessive water withdrawal, encroachment and climate change.
• Their conservation requires catchment protection, sewage treatment, wetland restoration, sustainable tourism and strict implementation of wetland-management regulations.
• Lakes should therefore be viewed not merely as water bodies but as critical ecological infrastructure essential for India’s water security and environmental resilience.