Lakes of India
Lakes of India
India has a diverse range of lakes — freshwater and saline, natural and artificial, glacial and tectonic, crater and lagoon. Lakes serve as vital water resources, ecosystems for biodiversity, and cultural landmarks. From the high-altitude salt lakes of Ladakh to the backwater lagoons of Kerala and the crater lakes of Maharashtra, India's lakes reflect its geological and climatic diversity.
Key Dates
Largest freshwater lake in India (~130 sq km when flooded) — in J&K on the Jhelum River; Ramsar site
Largest coastal lagoon in India (~1,100 sq km) — Odisha; Ramsar site; Irrawaddy dolphins
Largest inland saline lake in India (~230 sq km) — Rajasthan; produces 8.7% of India's salt; Ramsar site
Longest lake in India (96.5 km) — Kerala; backwaters; Nehru Trophy Boat Race; Ramsar site
134 km long (60% in China) — highest-altitude saltwater lake at ~4,350 m; Ladakh; strategic border area
Largest freshwater lake in NE India — Manipur; floating phumdis; Keibul Lamjao NP; Ramsar site (Montreux)
Only crater lake formed by meteorite impact in basaltic rock — Maharashtra; ~50,000 years old; saline-alkaline
Iconic lake in Srinagar, J&K — houseboats, floating gardens (Rad); faces severe eutrophication
Classification of Indian Lakes
Lakes in India can be classified by multiple criteria: By Water Type: (1) Freshwater Lakes — contain water with low dissolved salts; most Indian lakes are freshwater; examples: Wular (J&K), Dal (J&K), Loktak (Manipur), Bhimtal (Uttarakhand), Nainital (Uttarakhand). (2) Saline/Salt Lakes — high dissolved salt concentration due to lack of outflow (endorheic basins) or coastal influence; examples: Sambhar (Rajasthan), Pangong Tso (Ladakh), Tso Kar (Ladakh), Lonar (Maharashtra), Pulicat (TN-AP — brackish). (3) Brackish Lakes — intermediate salinity; usually coastal lagoons or estuarine lakes; examples: Chilika (Odisha), Pulicat (TN-AP), Vembanad (Kerala — varies seasonally). By Origin: (1) Tectonic Lakes — formed by crustal movements (faulting, folding, warping); Wular Lake is in a tectonic depression; Kashmir Valley lakes. (2) Glacial Lakes — formed by glacial erosion (cirque lakes/tarns) or glacial deposition (moraine-dammed lakes); common in the Himalayas above 3,500 m; examples: Gurudongmar Lake (Sikkim, 5,430 m), Roopkund (Uttarakhand — "Mystery Lake" with ancient human skeletons), Tsomgo/Changu Lake (Sikkim). (3) Volcanic/Crater Lakes — formed in volcanic craters or calderas; Lonar Lake (Maharashtra) is formed by a meteorite impact about 50,000 years ago in the Deccan basalt — the only such lake in basaltic rock globally. (4) Lagoon/Coastal Lakes — formed by coastal processes (bar/spit enclosing a bay); Chilika, Pulicat, Vembanad. (5) Oxbow Lakes — formed by river meander cutoffs; common in the floodplains of the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Mahanadi. (6) Man-made Lakes/Reservoirs — created by damming rivers; examples: Gobind Sagar (Bhakra Dam, HP), Hirakud Reservoir (Odisha), Nagarjuna Sagar (Telangana-AP), Indira Sagar (MP).
Major Freshwater Lakes of India
India's freshwater lakes vary from vast floodplain lakes to tiny glacial tarns: (1) Wular Lake — J&K, on the Jhelum River; largest freshwater lake in India (~130 sq km when fully flooded, smaller in summer); tectonic origin; Ramsar site; important for flood absorption, fisheries (provides livelihood to thousands); faces severe siltation, encroachment, and willow plantation expansion; has lost about 30% of its area. (2) Dal Lake — Srinagar, J&K; about 18 sq km; famous for houseboats and shikara rides; floating gardens called "Rad" where vegetables are grown on floating reed mats; faces severe eutrophication (nutrient pollution), sewage inflow, and encroachment; numerous restoration projects underway; connected to the Jhelum via the Dalgate. (3) Loktak Lake — Manipur; largest freshwater lake in northeast India (~287 sq km); famous for phumdis — heterogeneous masses of vegetation, soil, and organic matter floating on the lake surface; Keibul Lamjao NP (world's only floating national park) sits on a large phumdi; habitat of the endangered Sangai (Manipur brow-antlered deer); Ramsar site on the Montreux Record due to ecological degradation caused by the Ithai Barrage (1983). (4) Nainital Lake — Uttarakhand; a tectonic lake at 1,938 m in the Kumaon Hills; crescent-shaped; about 1.5 km long; major tourist destination. (5) Bhimtal — Uttarakhand; largest lake in Kumaon; has an island at its centre. (6) Hussain Sagar — Hyderabad, Telangana; man-made (built 1562 by Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah); connects the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad; 18 m tall Buddha statue on a monolithic rock in the lake. (7) Upper Lake (Bada Talab/Bhoj Wetland) — Bhopal, MP; one of the oldest man-made lakes in India (11th century, Raja Bhoj); Ramsar site. (8) Sukhna Lake — Chandigarh; man-made (1958); created as part of Le Corbusier's Chandigarh city plan.
Saline and Brackish Lakes
India has significant saline and brackish water bodies: (1) Sambhar Lake — Rajasthan; India's largest inland saline lake (~230 sq km, varies seasonally); in a structural depression between the Aravalli Hills; receives water from seasonal rivers (Mendha, Samaod, Khari); no outflow — water evaporates leaving salt; produces about 8.7% of India's salt; Ramsar site; an important wintering ground for flamingos and other migratory birds; in November 2019, thousands of migratory birds died here due to avian botulism. (2) Pangong Tso — Ladakh; one of the most famous high-altitude lakes; about 134 km long and 5 km wide at the broadest; at an elevation of ~4,350 m; about 60% of the lake lies in China; saline-brackish; endorheic (no outflow); changes colour from blue to green to red depending on season and minerals; strategically sensitive — the 2020 India-China tensions involved areas near Pangong Tso; the Pangong Range runs parallel to the lake on the south. (3) Tso Moriri — Ladakh; at 4,522 m; about 28 km long; saline; Ramsar site; breeding ground for the bar-headed goose and great crested grebe; surrounded by the Changthang Plateau (home to the Changpa nomads who rear the Pashmina goat). (4) Tso Kar — Ladakh; at ~4,530 m; white encrustation of salt around its shores; historically an important source of salt for trade via the Karakoram Pass. (5) Pulicat Lake — on the AP-TN border; India's second-largest brackish water lagoon after Chilika (~759 sq km); connected to the Bay of Bengal; Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary; flamingo breeding site; historically the site of a Dutch trading post (Pulicat was the capital of Dutch Coromandel). (6) Lonar Lake — Buldhana district, Maharashtra; formed by a meteorite impact ~50,000 years ago; the only known crater lake in basaltic rock in the world; about 1.8 km diameter and 150 m depth; water is both saline and alkaline (pH ~10); supports unique extremophilic microorganisms; in 2020, the lake turned pink due to increased salinity and algal (Haloarchaea) activity. Declared a National Geo-heritage Monument.
Coastal Lagoons of India
Coastal lagoons are shallow water bodies separated from the ocean by a narrow barrier (spit, sandbar, or barrier island). India's major coastal lagoons: (1) Chilika Lake — Odisha; the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second-largest in the world (~1,100 sq km, varies between 900-1,165 sq km seasonally); connected to the Bay of Bengal by a narrow channel; receives water from the Mahanadi distributaries and other rivers; a unique ecosystem with freshwater, brackish, and marine zones; supports over 1 million migratory birds from as far as the Caspian Sea, Siberia, and Central Asia; designated India's first Ramsar site (1981); was on the Montreux Record (1993-2002) due to silting of the mouth; restored by opening a new artificial mouth channel in 2000; Irrawaddy dolphins (~150) found here; Nalabana Island Bird Sanctuary is within Chilika; supports the livelihood of about 200,000 fisher folk. (2) Vembanad Lake/Backwaters — Kerala; the longest lake in India (96.5 km) and one of the largest (2,033 sq km); part of the Kerala Backwater system — an intricate network of interconnected lagoons, canals, rivers, and inlets parallel to the coast; Ramsar site; Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary on its eastern shore; Nehru Trophy Boat Race (snake boat race) held annually on Vembanad; rice cultivation in Kuttanad (below sea level — one of the few places in the world where farming occurs below sea level); faces pollution, reclamation, and declining fish catches. (3) Ashtamudi Lake — Kerala; a multi-branched ("eight-armed") estuary; Ramsar site; Kollam district; major tourism and fisheries hub. (4) Kabar Taal (Kabar Lake) — Bihar; Asia's largest freshwater oxbow lake (Ramsar site); important for migratory birds.
Glacial and High-Altitude Lakes
The Himalayas host thousands of high-altitude lakes formed by glacial, tectonic, and volcanic processes: (1) Gurudongmar Lake — north Sikkim; at 5,430 m, one of the highest lakes in India; sacred to Buddhists and Sikhs; named after Guru Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche); partially frozen even in summer. (2) Tsomgo (Changu) Lake — east Sikkim; at 3,753 m; glacial lake; a sacred lake that changes colour with seasons; on the Nathu La road. (3) Roopkund — Uttarakhand; at 5,029 m; the "Skeleton Lake" or "Mystery Lake" — contains about 600-800 human skeletons dating to the 9th century, believed to be victims of a catastrophic hailstorm during a pilgrimage; a high-altitude glacial lake. (4) Satopanth Tal — Uttarakhand; at 4,600 m; near Badrinath; triangular-shaped glacial lake; sacred to Hindus (named after the Hindu Trinity). (5) Hemkund Sahib — Uttarakhand; at 4,632 m; glacial lake; the Sikh pilgrimage site of Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara is on its shore; mentioned in the Dasam Granth. (6) Pangong Tso — Ladakh; 134 km; discussed above. (7) Tso Moriri — Ladakh; discussed above. (8) Manasbal Lake — J&K; called the "Jewel of Kashmir"; deepest lake in Kashmir (13 m); renowned for lotus blooms. (9) Sheshnag Lake — J&K; at 3,590 m; on the Amarnath Yatra route; fed by glacial meltwater. (10) Bhrigu Lake — Himachal Pradesh; at 4,300 m; near Manali; sacred to sage Bhrigu. Many of these high-altitude lakes are of immense ecological importance as habitat for migratory and resident bird species, particularly the bar-headed goose, Brahiminy duck, black-necked crane (Tso Moriri), and great crested grebe.
Man-Made Lakes (Reservoirs)
India has thousands of man-made lakes and reservoirs created by damming rivers for irrigation, drinking water, hydropower, and flood control. Major reservoirs: (1) Gobind Sagar — Himachal Pradesh; formed by the Bhakra Dam (226 m, one of the highest gravity dams in the world) on the Satluj River; 168 sq km; the third-largest reservoir in India by capacity. (2) Hirakud Reservoir — Odisha; formed by the Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi River; one of the longest dams in the world (25.8 km including dykes); reservoir area about 743 sq km; serves irrigation, flood control, and hydropower. (3) Nagarjuna Sagar — Telangana-AP; on the Krishna River; one of the world's largest masonry dams; reservoir area about 285 sq km; crucial for irrigation in both states. (4) Indira Sagar — Madhya Pradesh; on the Narmada River; one of the largest reservoirs in India by area (~913 sq km); part of the Narmada Valley Development Project. (5) Sardar Sarovar — Gujarat; on the Narmada River; a massive multipurpose dam; the Statue of Unity (182 m, world's tallest statue) stands near it. (6) Jaisamand Lake (Dhebar Lake) — Rajasthan; built by Maharana Jai Singh of Udaipur in 1685; was the largest artificial lake in Asia at the time; about 87 sq km. (7) Ukai Reservoir — Gujarat; on the Tapti River. (8) Stanley Reservoir — Tamil Nadu; formed by Mettur Dam on the Kaveri River (1934). (9) Almatti Reservoir — Karnataka; on the Krishna River. Tanks — thousands of traditional water harvesting structures, especially in South India (Tamil Nadu alone has about 39,000 tanks/eris); these man-made lakes serve irrigation, groundwater recharge, and community water supply; many have cultural significance (temple tanks).
Threats to Indian Lakes and Conservation
India's lakes face severe environmental challenges: (1) Eutrophication — nutrient enrichment from sewage and agricultural runoff causes algal blooms, oxygen depletion, and fish kills; Dal Lake, Nainital, Hussain Sagar, Ulsoor Lake (Bengaluru), and Bellandur Lake (Bengaluru — has caught fire multiple times due to extreme pollution) are severely eutrophic. (2) Encroachment — urban expansion and illegal construction on lake beds; Mumbai has lost almost all its natural lakes to development; Bengaluru has lost over 85% of its lakes in 50 years; Wetlands Rules 2017 aim to prevent this but enforcement is weak. (3) Siltation — accelerated erosion from deforested catchments increases sediment inflow; Wular Lake has lost about 30% of its area; many Himalayan lakes face similar threats. (4) Pollution — industrial effluents, untreated sewage, and solid waste; Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad receives 80+ million litres of sewage daily; Bellandur Lake in Bengaluru is India's most polluted lake; Ganga-fed floodplain lakes in Bihar and UP receive polluted river water. (5) Invasive Species — water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) chokes numerous lakes, blocking sunlight and oxygen; Loktak Lake, Hussain Sagar, and many others are affected. (6) Mining — sand mining in and around lakes degrades ecosystems. Conservation efforts: National Lake Conservation Plan (now merged into NPCA); Ramsar designation provides international recognition and monitoring framework; NGT orders for specific lake protection (Bellandur, Yamuna floodplain lakes); AMRUT mission includes lake rejuvenation in urban areas; Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation includes water body restoration; National Wetland Conservation Programme covers important lakes; state-level initiatives (e.g., "Lake Revitalization" in Rajasthan, "Jal Shakti Abhiyan" for water conservation).
Relevant Exams
Lakes of India is a consistently tested topic. UPSC asks about lake types (tectonic, glacial, crater), specific lakes and their features, Ramsar sites, and lake conservation challenges. SSC/RRB exams test factual recall — largest freshwater lake (Wular), largest lagoon (Chilika), longest lake (Vembanad), crater lake (Lonar), saline lake (Sambhar), and lake-state associations. Questions on Pangong Tso, Dal Lake, Loktak phumdis, and lake pollution are frequently asked across all exams.