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Major Lakes in India reflects the ecological diversity which ranges from high-altitude tectonic basins to large coastal brackish lagoons. The largest brackish water lagoon in Asia is Chilika lake in Odisha. It is home to millions of migratory birds and Irrawaddy dolphins. The Vembanad lake in Kerala is the longest lake in India. It is famous for its traditional Nehru Trophy boat race and backwater ecosystems. The Loktak lake in Manipur is the world’s only lake which has floating islands famously known as phumdis. These islands are home to endangered sangai deer or dancing deer.
List of Major Lakes in India Statewise
| S.No. | State or UT | Major Lakes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jammu & Kashmir | Wular Lake, Dal Lake, Manasbal Lake, Nigeen Lake, Sheshnag Lake, Gangabal Lake |
| 2 | Ladakh | Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri, Tso Kar |
| 3 | Himachal Pradesh | Renuka Lake, Prashar Lake, Chandra Taal, Suraj Tal, Maharana Pratap Sagar (Pong Dam) |
| 4 | Uttarakhand | Nainital Lake, Bhimtal Lake, Sattal Lake, Naukuchiatal Lake, Roopkund Lake, Dodital Lake |
| 5 | Haryana | Surajkund, Badkhal Lake, Damdama Lake, Blue Bird Lake |
| 6 | Punjab | Harike Wetland, Kanjli Wetland, Ropar Wetland |
| 7 | Rajasthan | Sambhar Lake, Pushkar Lake, Pichola Lake, Fateh Sagar Lake, Jaisamand Lake, Ana Sagar Lake |
| 8 | Uttar Pradesh | Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar (Rihand Reservoir), Lower Ganga Canal reservoirs |
| 9 | Bihar | Kanwar (Kabartal) Lake |
| 10 | West Bengal | East Kolkata Wetlands, Choto Magra Lake |
| 11 | Sikkim | Gurudongmar Lake, Cholamu (Tso Lhamo) Lake, Khecheopalri Lake |
| 12 | Arunachal Pradesh | Sela Lake, Madhuri Lake |
| 13 | Assam | Deepor Beel, Chandubi Lake, Son Beel, Haflong Lake |
| 14 | Manipur | Loktak Lake |
| 15 | Meghalaya | Umiam Lake |
| 16 | Tripura | Rudrasagar Lake |
| 17 | Madhya Pradesh | Bhojtal (Upper Lake) & Lower Lake (Bhopal), Bargi Dam reservoir, Indira Sagar reservoir |
| 18 | Maharashtra | Lonar Lake, Shivaji Sagar (Koyna), Ujani Reservoir, Powai Lake, Vihar Lake |
| 19 | Gujarat | Nal Sarovar, Kankaria Lake, Sardar Sarovar Reservoir |
| 20 | Odisha | Chilika Lake, Ansupa Lake |
| 21 | Andhra Pradesh | Kolleru Lake, Pulicat Lake (shared with Tamil Nadu) |
| 22 | Telangana | Hussain Sagar, Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar, Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir |
| 23 | Karnataka | Ulsoor Lake, Lalbagh Lake, Varahi Reservoir |
| 24 | Tamil Nadu | Pulicat Lake (shared with Andhra Pradesh), Chembarambakkam Lake, Ooty Lake, Kodaikanal Lake |
| 25 | Kerala | Vembanad Lake, Ashtamudi Lake, Sasthamkotta Lake |
Types of Lakes
Lakes in India are classified by their origin and types of water. As per the type of origin, the major type include tectonic lakes formed by crustal movements such as Wular and Pangong Tso, glacial lakes formed by glacier erosion and moraine dams in Himalayan glaciers such as Chandra Tal and Gurudongmar, and Volcanic or Crater lakes such as Lonar in Maharashtra. Lagoons are shallow coastal water bodies separated from the sea by sandbars and are often brackish such as chilika, pulicat, and Vembanad.
The ox-bow lakes form during the cut off of river meanders which is very common in the floodplains of Ganga and Brahmaputra such as Kanwar lake in Bihar. The artificial lakes are created by dams for its use such as irrigation, power, and drinking water such as Govind Ballabh Pant sagar, Nagarjuna Sagar. As per the type of water, lakes are freshwater, saltwater or brackish.
Important Facts
| S.No. | Category | Lake | State or UT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Largest freshwater lake in India | Wular Lake | Jammu & Kashmir |
| 2 | Largest saltwater lake in India | Sambhar Lake | Rajasthan |
| 3 | Largest brackish water lake | Chilika Lake | Odisha |
| 4 | Largest artificial lake | Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar (Rihand) | Uttar Pradesh |
| 5 | Longest lake | Vembanad Lake | Kerala |
| 6 | Highest lake | Cholamu (Tso Lhamo) | Sikkim |
| 7 | Largest freshwater ox-bow lake | Kanwar (Kabartal) Lake | Bihar |
Government Initiatives to Conserve Lakes
| S.No. | Initiative | Nodal Ministry | Main Objective |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) | Ministry of Environment |
|
| 2 | National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA) | Ministry of Environment |
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| 3 | Amrit Sarovar | Ministry of Jal Shakti |
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| 4 | Smart Cities Mission - Lake Rejuvenation Projects | Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs |
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| 5 | State-level Lake Authorities | State Governments |
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| 6 | Ramsar Sites designation | Ministry of Environment and Wetlands International |
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FAQs about Lakes
Which is the largest lake in India?
The largest lake in India is Vembanad lake in Kerala.
Which is the largest freshwater lake in India?
The largest freshwater lake in India is Wular lake in Jammu & Kashmir.
Which is the largest saltwater lake in India?
The largest saltwater lake in India is Sambhar lake in Rajasthan.
Which is known as the city of lakes?
Udaipur in Rajasthan is famously known as the ‘city of Lakes’ in India. The city has many historic lakes.
Which is an ox-bow lake?
Kanwar or Kabartal lake in Bihar is a famous ox-bow lake in India.
