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