Dal Lake
Location Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
Basin countries India
Surface area 18 km²
Shikaras on Dal Lake, Jammu & KashmirThe Dal Lake is a famous lake in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, in India. The lake itself is connected to a number of other lakes of the Kashmir valley. It is well known for its approximately 500 Victorian-era wooden houseboats, originally built as vacation homes for landless British administrators during the Raj. The lake covers 18 square kilometers, and is divided by causeways into four basins, called Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal and Nagin. Lokut-dal and Bod-dal have an island each in the centre, known as Rup Lank (or Char Chinari) and Sona Lank respectively. Along most of the shore of the lake is a boulevard, lined with Mughal-era gardens, parks, and hotels. During the winter season the lake sometimes freezes over.
The lake has some interesting flora and fauna. The flora include lotus flower, water lillies and water chestnuts. Notable birds are kingfishers and heron.
Apart from the houseboats, the Lake and Waterways Dal Authority allows kayaking, canoeing, water surfing and licensed angling on the lake.
With the onset of militancy in the immediate area, tourism dwindled in the late 1980s and 1990s. However, after concerted efforts by the authorities, tourist inflow has slightly improved in the 21st century. Wi-Fi internet access was implemented across the lake in November 2003, making it the first lake in the world to provide wireless connectivity. Sewage, water hyacinths and silt are major problems affecting the lake.
Pangong Tso
Location Rutog County, Tibet, India
Coordinates 33°43'04.59?N, 78°53'48.48?ECoordinates: 33°43'04.59?N, 78°53'48.48?E
Lake type salt lake
Max length 134 km (83.3 mi)
Max width 5 km (3 mi)
Surface elevation 4,250 m (13,900 ft)
Frozen in winter
Pangong Tso (or Pangong Lake; Tso: Ladakhi for lake) is a lake in the Himalayas situated at a height of about 4,250 m (13,900 ft). It is 134 km (83.3 mi) long and extends from India to Tibet. Two thirds of the length of this lake falls in the People's Republic of China. It is 5 km (3 mi) wide at its broadest point. In winter, the lake surface freezes completely despite being salt water.
Pangong Tso can be reached in a five-hour drive from Leh, most of it on a rough and dramatic mountain road. The road traverses the third-highest pass in the world, the Changla pass, where army sentries and a small teahouse greet visitors. The spectacular lakeside is open during the tourist season, from May to September. A special permit is required to visit the lake. While an Indian can get his individual permit at Leh, non-Indian nationals need to be in a group of at least four. For security reasons, no boating is allowed. There is a small hostel as well as campsites and houses with primitive guestrooms in the village a few miles towards Tibet.
The lake is in the process of being identified under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance. This will be the first trans-boundary wetland in South Asia under the convention.
Road to Pangong Tso
Pangong Tso
Pangong Tso - A Glimpse
Flora and fauna
The brackish water of the lake is devoid of any micro-vegetation. There are some species of scrub and perennial herbs that grow in the marshes around the lake. The lake acts as an important breeding ground for a variety of birds including a number of migratory birds. The region around the lake supports a number of species of wildlife including the kiang.
Tilicho lake
Tsomiri
Coordinates 32°54'N 78°18'ECoordinates: 32°54'N 78°18'E
Lake type brackish
Primary sources Snow Melt in summer
Primary outflows none
Basin countries India
Max length 19 km
Surface area 120 sq km (12000 ha)
Max depth 40 m
Shore length1 Wet meadows and borax loaded wetlands
Surface elevation 4000-5000 m (4595 m above MSL)
Settlements Leh
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.
Tsomoriri (Official name: Tsomoriri Wetland Conservation Reserve) is a High Altitude Lake (HAL) in Ladakh, India. It is situated at a height of 4595 m above MSL. Tsomiri is the largest of the High Altitude Lakes to be situated entirely within India. The Korzok monastery which lies on the western bank of the lake is one of the oldest settlements of the world. (Dept. Of Wildlife Protection, Wildlife Division LAHDC, Undated)
Snow which falls in the region in the winter melts with the coming of summer. As there is an absence of a continuous slope to properly drain the water away, it collects in large brackish lakes that can be found in the region. (Rizvi, 1996)
Tsomiri has been notified under the Ramsar Convention for several reasons. These include
The lake is unique with respect to the flora and fauna that it sustains
The lake is the breeding ground for a number of species of birds such as Black-necked Crane, Bar-headed Goose and the Ruddy Shelduck.
The wetland is situated in the middle of a cold desert. As a result a number of species of birds and animals frequent the lake to drink.
Threats to the Lake and Flora and Fauna
There are a number of threats to the lake such as
Tsomoriri LakeIncrease in the number of tourists visiting the lake
Construction of a road right up to the lake
An increase in the grazing of Sheep in the wetlands surrounding the lake
The absence of a proper garbage disposal Facility at the lake.
Dogs kept by the people who live near the lake and the Army officer are known to attack the cranes and destroy their eggs.
Jeep safaris have beem known to chase wildlife such as Kiang and approach close to the breeding ground.
Wular Lake
Location Jammu and Kashmir, India
Coordinates 34°20'N 74°36'ECoordinates: 34°20'N 74°36'E
Primary sources Jhelum
Basin countries India
Surface area 12 to 100 sq mi (30 to 260 km²)
Wular Lake (also spelt Wullar) is one of the largest fresh water lakes in Asia. It is situated in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, between the cities of Sopore and Bandipore . The lake was formed as a result of tectonic activity and is the largest freshwaterlake in India.
The River Jhelum feeds into the lake, which acts as a natural flood reservoir. The size can vary between 12 and 100 square miles (30 to 260 square kilometers), depending on the season.
Lake Fauna
The Wular lake is an important habitat for the fish fauna of the region. It provides about 60 per cent of the fish yield of the Kashmir region. The dominant fish species found in the Wular are: Cyprinus carpio, Barbus conchonius, Gambusia affinis, Nemacheilus sp., Crossocheilus latius, Schizothorax curvifrons, S.esocinus, S.planifrons, S.micropogon, S.longipinus and S.niger.
The Wular lake with its characteristic features sustains a rich population of avifauna. Terrestrial birds observed around the lake are the black - eared kite, sparrow hawk, short-toed eagle, Himalayan golden eagle, monal pheasant, chukar partridge, kiklas pheasant, blue rock pigeon, cuckoo, small cuckoo, alpine swift, Kashmir roller, Himalayan pied woodpecker, hoopoe, common swallow, golden oriole and others.
Social & Cultural Values
The Wular lake is of great socio - economic importance in the valley of Kashmir both in regard to its ecological and economic aspects. It offers sustenance to thousands of people living in and around the lake. More than eight thousand fishermen earn their livelihood from this lake and are the main suppliers of the endemic Schizothorax and the exotic Cyprinus carpio.
About 60 per cent of fish yield in Kashmir is contributed by the Wular lake. Additionally, hundreds of local villagers are engaged by cooperative societies which deal in fish and thus earn their livelihood. A large number of families are also dependent on the lake for fodder from plant species such as Phragmites, Nymphoides, etc.
There are 15th century ruins in the centre of the lake which are the remains of an island created by King Zain-ul-abidin. With its turbulent, perpetually wind-ruffled waters, its exciting variety of avian life enhances the sheer beauty of its setting.
The Tulbul project is a "navigation lock-cum-control structure" at the mouth of the Wular Lake. It envisages regulated water release from the natural storage in the lake to maintain a minimum draught of 4.5 feet in the river up to Baramulla during the lean winter months.
There's an ongoing dispute between India and Pakistan over this project since 1987. The project was conceived in the 1980s and work began in 1984. It was stopped midway in 1987 after Islamabad raised objections alleging that the project violates the 1960 Indus Water Treaty. India is insisting on the revival of work on this project. The Jhelum, which flows through the Kashmir valley, provides an important means of transportation of goods and movement of people. To sustain navigation throughout the year it is considered necessary to maintain a minimum depth of water, which will permit movement of boats. India holds that this is permissible under the treaty, while Pakistan maintains that the project is a violation of the treaty. India says suspension of work is harming the interests of people of Jammu and Kashmir and also depriving people of Pakistan of irrigation and power benefits that may accrue from regulated water releases.
