Lonar Lake: A Geographical History

Context

The recent development of Lonar Lake attracted the eyes of the people as the water itself turned pink.

Background

Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court emphasizing the need to appreciate the biology and the aesthetic value of the Lonar Lake and raised concern for its conservation and preservation. Court added that the situation at the Lonar crater lake, the colour of which has turned pink, is bad and pathetic.

Geography of Lonar Lake

• Lonar Lake is a natural water body situated in Buldana district of Maharashtra state.
• It is an inland saline crater of only one of its kind in Asia.
• It is formed by hyper velocity meteorite impact and is situated in the basaltic terrain.
• Lonar Lake is the third largest natural salt-water lake in the world.
• The crater is 150 meter in depth and is absolutely confined from all sides by the walls of the crater and there is not a single channel of water draining away from it, there by leaving the lake waters stagnant from thousands of years.

Human Interference

Now a day's many human activities create the pollution in and around the water body, due to which natural status of this lake may come in the danger zone of water pollution.

Two issues of immediate concern are open defecation by Lonar residents at various spots near the lake and discharge of sewage water of the entire city into the Lonar lake.

In this connection the study were carried out in which water samples from different locations of Lonar lake were collected and analyzed for their physico-chemical characteristics to report the status of water quality of Lonar lake.

Reason for Pink Colour

Research reports suggest that it is due to a large presence of the salt-loving Haloarchaea microbes. Haloarchaea or halophilic archaea is a bacteria culture which produces pink pigment and is found in water saturated with salt, it formed a pink colour mat on the water surface.

But it is not permanent, Researchers assume that the absence of rain, less human interference and high temperature resulted in the evaporation of water which increased its salinity and pH.

The increased salinity and pH facilitated the growth of halophilic microbes. Colour of the lake is returning to its original with the starting of rainy season.

Types of Lakes in India:

1) Freshwater Lakes: These Lakes are usually found in low lying areas and are fed from streams, rivers and runoff from the surrounding area. e.g. Wular Lake.

2) Saltwater Lakes: These Lakes is an inland body of water situated in an arid or semiarid region, having no outlet to the sea, and containing a high concentration of dissolved salt. e.g. Sambhar Lake.

3) Natural Lakes: These Lakes are formed by natural activities. e.g. Vembanad Lake

4) Oxbow Lakes: During a flood, a river may shorten its course by cutting across its meandering loops, leaving behind a curvical channel as an ox-bow lake. e.g. Kanwar Lake

5) Artificial Lakes: Such lakes are created as a direct or indirect result of human activities. The most common origin of artificial lakes is the creation of reservoirs by damming a river or stream. e.g. Kodaikanal Lake

6) Volcanic Lakes: Volcanic Lakes are formed in volcanic craters or calderas when the rate of precipitation is higher than the rate of loss of water via evaporation or drainage through an outlet. e.g. Lonar Lake.

Some Important Facts :

• Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India(Manipur), and is famous for the phumdis (heterogeneous mass of vegetation, soil, and organic matter at various stages of decomposition) floating over it. Keibul Lamjao is the only floating national park in the world which is on this lake.

• Lonar Lake in Maharashtra is a saline lake and notified National Geo-heritage Monument.
• Chilika Lake in Odisha is the largest saline water lake in India.
• Wular lake is one of the biggest freshwater lakes in Asia and it was formed as a result of tectonic activity.
• Upper lake in Madhya Pradesh is the largest artificial lake in Asia.
• Vembanad Lake in kerala is the longest lake in India.
• Cholamu Lake in Sikkim is the highest lake in India.

Way forward

Government and Private NGOs should work together to safeguard the natural beauties of our Mother Earth. Region wise campaign for the wider awareness of local people as their participation is essential for the conservation of the Lake.

Simultaneously, emphasis should be given on international coordination and collaboration for collecting the funds to protect the Lake and to data acquisition, assimilation and compilation.

Connecting the Dots

Question for Prelims :

Consider the following lakes

1. Wular lake
2. Cholamu Lake
3. Lonar Lake

What is the correct sequence of occurrence of the following lakes as one proceeds from North to South?

(a) 1-2-3
(b) 2-3-1
(c) 3-2-1
(d) 1-3-2

Question for Mains :

How many types of lakes are found in India ? Discuss the causes why are they threatened.