Facts and Important Points About Lakes and Lagoons
Important Points About Lakes and Lagoons
Lakes vs Lagoons
- A lake is a vast landlocked water body which is distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake.
- A lagoon is a similar waterbody as that of a lake but adjacent to a sea and is partially separated from the sea.
- Lakes are usually deeper than lagoons and connected to freshwater habitats like rivers, whereas lagoons are connected to marine habitats. Lagoons are not necessarily connected to rivers.
- While comparing a lake to that of Lagoons the environment in a lake is more stable and adaptive for water creatures than that of lagoons.
Applications and Benefits of Lakes
Lakes not only provide water for many uses but are helpful in many aspects pointed out below.
- Lakes Provide water for irrigation, human consumption and industrial uses.
- Lakes help to create income opportunities through fishing and tourism.
- Some lakes are helpful in hydropower generation.
- By providing storage for huge volumes of water, lakes are helpful in controlling small floods.
Top 10 Largest Lakes and Lagoons of India by Area
The list of the 10 largest lakes and lagoons of India is given in the table below. From the list, the blue-coloured ones are the lagoons.
10 Largest Lakes and Lagoons in India |
||
| Lake and Lagoon | Area | State |
|---|---|---|
| Vembanad Lake | 2033 sq km | Kerala |
| Chilika Lake | 1165 sq km | Odisha |
| Shivsagar Lake | 891.7 sq km | Maharashtra |
| Pangong Tso Lake | 700 sq km | Ladakh |
| Indira Sagar Lake | 627 sq km | Madhya Pradesh |
| Pulicat Lake | 450 sq km | Andhra Pradesh |
| Sardar Sarovar Lake | 375 sq km | Gujarat |
| Loktak Lake | 287 sq km | Manipur |
| Nagarjuna Sagar Lake | 285 sq km | Telangana |
| Wular Lake | 260 sq km | Jammu & Kashmir |
Statewise List of Lakes and Lagoons in India
The state-wise list of major lakes and lagoons is given in the below table. From the list, the blue-coloured ones are the lagoons.
Major Lakes and Lagoons in India |
||
| State | Lake and Lagoon | |
|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Kolleru Lake | |
| Andhra Pradesh | Pulicat Lake | |
| Assam | Chandubi Lake | |
| Assam | Deepor Beel | |
| Assam | Haflong Lake | |
| Bihar | Kanwar lake | |
| Gujarat | Harmirsar Lake | |
| Gujarat | Kankaria Lake | |
| Haryana | Badkhal Lake | |
| Haryana | Brahma Sarovar | |
| Haryana | Damdama Lake | |
| Himachal Pradesh | Chandra Taal | |
| Himachal Pradesh | Khajjiar Lake | |
| Himachal Pradesh | Maharana Pratap Sagar | |
| Himachal Pradesh | Nako Lake | |
| Himachal Pradesh | Renuka Lake | |
| Himachal Pradesh | Suraj Tal | |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Dal Lake | |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Manasbal Lake | |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Wular Lake | |
| Karnataka | Agara Lake | |
| Karnataka | Ulsoor Lake | |
| Kerala | Ashtamudi Lake | |
| Kerala | Pookode Lake | |
| Kerala | Sasthamcotta Lake | |
| Kerala | Veeranpuzha Lake | |
| Kerala | Veli Lake | |
| Kerala | Vembanad Lake | |
| Ladakh | Pangong Tso Lake | |
| Madhya Pradesh | Upper Lake or Bhojtal Lake | |
| Madhya Pradesh | Tawa Reservoir | |
| Maharashtra | Shivsagar Lake | |
| Manipur | Loktak Lake | |
| Meghalaya | Umiam Lake | |
| Mizoram | Tam Dil Lake | |
| Odisha | Anshupa Lake | |
| Odisha | Chilika Lake | |
| Punjab | Harike Lake | |
| Punjab | Kanjli Lake | |
| Rajasthan | Dhebar Lake | |
| Rajasthan | Pichola Lake | |
| Rajasthan | Pushkar Lake | |
| Rajasthan | Sambhar Lake | |
| Sikkim | Cholamu Lake | |
| Sikkim | Khecheopalri Lake | |
| Sikkim | Tsomgo Lake | |
| Tamil Nadu | Chembarambakkam Lake | |
| Tamil Nadu | Kaliveli Lake | |
| Tamil Nadu | Veeranam Lake | |
| Telangana | Himayat Sagar | |
| Telangana | Hussain Sagar | |
| Telangana | Osman Sagar | |
| Uttar Pradesh | Belasagar Lake | |
| Uttarakhand | Bhimtal Lake | |
| Uttarakhand | Roopkund Lake or Mystery Lake or Skeleton Lake | |
| Uttarakhand | Sattal Lake or Sat Tal | |
Basic Informations on Lakes of India
Areawise the largest lake in India
Ans: Vembanad Lake of Kerla
Longest lake in India
Ans: Vembanad Lake
Second largest wetland system in India after Sunderbans
Ans: Vembanad Wetland
Largest brackish water lake in India
Ans: Chilika Lake of Odisha
Highest lake in India
Ans: Cholamu Lake of Sikkim
Largest saline lake in India
Ans: Sambhar Lake of Rajasthan
Deepest lake in India
Ans: Manasbal Lake of Jammu & Kashmir
Smallest lake in India
Ans: Pookode Lake located of Kerala
Largest Artificial lake in India
Ans: Govind Vallabh Pant Sagar (Rihand Dam) of Uttar Pradesh
Second-largest artificial lake in India
Ans: Dhebar Lake of Rajasthan
Lake located between Godavari and Krishna rivers
Ans: Kolleru lake
Basic Informations on Lakes of The World
Largest lake in the world
Ans: Caspian Sea
Largest body of water in the world
Ans: Caspian Sea
Largest salt water lake in the world
Ans: Caspian Sea
Largest lake in Eurasia
Ans: Caspian Sea
Deepest lake in the world
Ans: Baikal Lake
World’s largest lake by volume
Ans: Baikal Lake
Second longest lake in the world
Ans: Baikal Lake
Longest lake in the world
Ans: Tanganyika Lake
World’s second largest lake by volume
Ans: Tanganyika Lake
Second deepest lake in the world
Ans: Tanganyika Lake
Highest large lake in the world
Ans: Pumoyong Tso Lake
Lowest lake in the world
Ans: Dead Sea
World’s largest continental lake by surface area
Ans: Superior Lake
World’s largest lake that is entirely within one country
Ans: Michigan
Largest Lakes by Continent
Ans:
| Lake | Country |
|---|---|
| Asia | Baikal Lake |
| Africa | Victoria Lake |
| Europe | Ladoga Lake |
| North America | Superior Lake |
| South America | Titicaca |
| Australia | Eyre Lake |
| Antarctica | Vostok Lake |
Important lakes and their country of location
Ans:
| Lake | Country |
|---|---|
| Caspian Sea | Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia |
| Baikal Lake | Russia |
| Tanganyika Lake | Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Burundi |
| Pumoyong Tso Lake | China and India |
| Dead Sea | Israel, Jordan and Palestine |
| Superior Lake | United States and Canada |
| Michigan Lake | United States |
