Any relatively large body of slowly moving or standing water that occupies an inland basin of appreciable size is called a Lake. Lakes are formed by the action of glaciers and ice sheets, by wind, by river action, and by human activities. Most of the lakes are permanent, while some contain water only during the rainy season.
India is known for its diverse natural resources. There are many resources out of which water bodies have a significant hold on the scenic beauty of our country. Lakes are one of the major sources of natural beauty in India and there are many lakes in almost every state.
There are about 500,000 lakes on Earth, storing a volume of water equaling 103,000 cubic Km. Most of the world’s water lakes are found in North America- 25%, Africa- 30%, and Asia- 20%. The majority of lakes on Earth are freshwater, and most lie in the Northern Hemisphere at higher latitudes. Canada, Finland, and Siberia contain most of the freshwater lakes. Other lakes are found in endorheic basins. Some lakes do not have a natural outflow and lose water solely by evaporation or underground seepage or both. They are termed endorheic lakes.
Types of lakes
1. Glacial Lake– A lake formed by the melting of glaciers is called a glacial lake. Most of the lakes in the Himalayan region are glacial lakes. Glacial lakes are common features around the margins of glaciers and ice sheets, and often evolve from ice-contact lakes into ice-distal lakes as glaciers and ice sheets margins retreat and become spatially separated from the lake.
2. Ox-Bow Lake– A lake formed when a meandering river is cut off from the mainstream. The shape of this lake resembles an ox-bow. Oxbow lakes usually form in flat, low-lying plains close to where the river empties into another body of water. On these plains, rivers often have wide meanders.
3. Lagoon Lake– When the lake is formed by spits and bars in coastal areas, it is called a lagoon. Chilika Lake, Pulicat Lake, Kolleru Lake, etc. are examples of lagoon. Lagoons are separated from larger bodies of water by sandbars, barrier reefs, coral reefs, or other natural barriers.
List of Important Lakes in India
| State/Union Territories | Lakes In India |
|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Pilkat Lake Kolleru Lake |
| Assam | Haflong Lake Deepor Beel Chandubi Lake |
| Bihar | Kanwar Lake |
| Gujarat | Hamirsar Lake Kankaria Lake |
| Haryana | Badkhal Lake Brahma Sarovar |
| Himachal Pradesh | Chandra Taal Maharana Pratap Sagar |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Dal Lake Wular Lake |
| Karnataka | Agara lake Ulsoor Lake |
| Kerala | Sasthamkotta Kuttanad Lake |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhojtal |
| Maharashtra | Shivsagar |
| Manipur | Loktak Lake |
| Meghalaya | Umiam Lake |
| Mizoram | Tam Dil |
| Odisha | Chilika lake |
| Punjab | Harike Kanjli |
| Rajasthan | Sambhar lake |
| Sikkim | Tsomgo Lake |
| Tamil Nadu | Chembarambakkam |
| Telangana | Hussain sagar |
| Uttar Pradesh | Govind Bhallabh Pant Sagar Belasagar |
| Uttarakhand | Bhimtal |
| Tamil Nadu | Kaliveli |