Lakes
A lake is a water body surrounded by land and can be natural or man-made.
- Lakes are vital for irrigation, hydropower, fisheries, tourism, and climate regulation.
- India has freshwater, saline, glacial, oxbow, and artificial lakes.
๐ PYQ (BPSC 64th): Wular Lake is located in which state? โ Jammu and Kashmir
Types of Lakes in India
1. Freshwater Lakes
- Naturally formed with non-saline water
- Useful for drinking, irrigation, fisheries
Examples:
- Wular Lake โ Jammu & Kashmir (largest freshwater lake in India)
- Loktak Lake โ Manipur (phumdis or floating islands)
- Nainital, Bhimtal โ Uttarakhand
- Kolleru Lake โ Andhra Pradesh
2. Saltwater (Saline) Lakes
- Formed in inland drainage basins
- High salinity due to lack of outlets
Examples:
- Sambhar Lake โ Rajasthan (largest inland salt lake)
- Chilika Lake โ Odisha (brackish lagoon, Asia's largest)
๐ PYQ (BPSC 67th): Which is the largest saltwater lake in India? โ Chilika Lake
3. Glacial Lakes
- Formed by melting glaciers in Himalayan regions
Examples:
- Roopkund, Chandratal, Gurudongmar โ Himalayas
- Tso Moriri, Pangong Tso โ Ladakh
4. Oxbow Lakes
- Formed by the meandering of rivers and cutoff loops
- Common in plains of Bihar, West Bengal, Assam
Bihar Example:
- Oxbow lakes along the Ganga and Kosi rivers
5. Artificial (Man-made) Lakes
- Created by damming rivers or excavation
Examples:
- Gobind Sagar โ on Sutlej, Bhakra Nangal Dam
- Hussain Sagar โ Hyderabad
- Rana Pratap Sagar โ Rajasthan
Important Lakes in Bihar
Natural and River-Formed Lakes
-
Kanwar Lake (Begusarai):
- Largest oxbow lake in Asia
- Ramsar site (Wetland of International Importance)
-
Goga Lake (Katihar)
-
Udaipur Lake (West Champaran)
Man-made and Religious Lakes
- Indrapuskarini Lake โ Rajgir
- Pretshila & Brahma Kund โ Gaya
- Used for tourism, pilgrimage, and local irrigation
Environmental Importance
- Maintain groundwater levels
- Act as climate buffers
- Provide habitats for migratory birds (e.g., Kanwar Lake, Chilika)
Expected MCQs
- Largest freshwater lake in India? โ Wular Lake
- Largest saltwater lake in India? โ Chilika Lake
- Kanwar Lake is located in? โ Begusarai, Bihar
- Which lake is famous for floating islands? โ Loktak Lake
Quick Revision Points
- Wular โ Largest freshwater lake
- Chilika โ Largest lagoon/saltwater lake
- Sambhar โ Largest inland salt lake
- Kanwar (Bihar) โ Largest oxbow lake in Asia
- Oxbow lakes โ Formed in floodplains of Bihar
- Artificial lakes โ Created by damming rivers
Sources Used
- NCERT Geography Class 9 & 11
- Lucent GK โ Geography
- Drishti Bihar Special
- Bihar Wetlands Authority Reports
- Ghatna Chakra BPSC/DPCS PYQs