Question

How do lakes of India differ from each other in the size and other characteristics?

Explain with examples.

Answer 1

(i) We find many lakes in India. These lakes differ from each other in the size and other characteristics. Most lakes are permanent, some contain water only during the rainy season, like the lakes in the basins of inland drainage of semi-arid regions. There are some of the lakes which are the result of the action of glaciers and ice sheets, while the others have been formed by wind, river action, and human activities.
(ii) A meandering river across a floodplain forms cut-offs that later develop into ox-bow lakes. Spits and bars form lagoons in the coastal area, for instance, the Chilika lake, the Pulicat lake, the Kolleru lake. Lakes in the region of inland drainage are sometimes seasonal. For instance, the Sambhar lake in Rajasthan.
(iii) Most of the fresh water lakes are located in the Himalayan region. These lakes are of glacial origin. It means that they formed when glaciers dug out a basin, which was later filled with snowmelt. The Wular lake in Jammu and Kashmir, in contrast, is the result of the tectonic activity. It is the largest freshwater lake in India. Other freshwater lakes are the Dal lake, Bhimtal, Loktak, Nainital and Barapani.
(iv) Some lakes are artificial, i.e., they are created by humans for the generation of hydel power. Guru Gobind Sagar is such a lake.