Salt Water, Fresh Water & Brackish water Lakes of India

Note: (NLCP) - National Lake Conservation Plan
(R)- Ramsar site

A. Urban lakes
1. Bangalore city Lakes - Karnataka - 20 odd lakes out of 257, considered worth restoration. Four lakes under restoration - Vengaihnakere, Kamakshipalya, Jarganhalli & Nagavara. (NLCP)
2. Bhopal's Upper and Lower Lakes - also named Bhoj Wetland, Madhya Pradesh - 3201 ha. (R)
3. Bombay (Mumbai) city's lakes, Maharashtra - Powai, Tulsi, Vihar lakes -2200 ha. (NLCP)
4. Dal & Nagin Lakes, Jammu and Kashmir –1720 ha - Nagin - Jewel in the Ring. (NLCP)
5. Howrah's urban water bodies, West Bengal. 5. Howrah's urban water bodies, West Bengal.
6. Hyderabad city lakes, Andhra Pradesh - Hussain Sagar (3,300 ha) & Saroornagar (400 ha), Osmansagar (4,016 ha) and Himayatsagar (3,584ha) and other lakes. (NLCP)
7. Jalmahal Lake also called Mansagar lake, Jaipur city, Rajasthan -110 ha (after restoration).
8. Jaisamand lake or Dhebar lake, Rajasthan, -7224 ha.
9. Kodaikanal Lake & the Ooty lake, Tamil Nadu. (NLCP)

10. Lakes of Kumaon hills - Nainital, Bhimtal, Sat-Tal, & Naukuchiatal, Uttaranchal - ‘Lake District’ of India, Uttaranchal. (NLCP)
11. Mirik Lake called 'Sumendu Lake', Darjeeling District, West Bengal - 47 ha. (NLCP)
12. Mysore city's five lakes- Kukkarahalli, Lingambudhi, Karanji, Devanoor, and Dalavai, Karnataka - 363.5 ha. (NLCP)
13. Nangal Lake and Hussainiwala lakes, Punjab – 1088 ha.
14. Rabindra Sarovar (lake) or Dhakuria Lake, West Bengal - 31 ha. (NLCP)
15. Sastamkotta Lake , Kerala -373 ha. (R)
16. Sukhna lake, Chandigarh UT -188 ha. (NLCP)
17. Udaipur city's five Lakes - Fatehsagar (400Ha), Rangsagar, Pichola, Swaroopsagar and Dudh Talai (1480 ha), Rajasthan. (NLCP)
18. Wular Lake, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), 17,300 ha - Called flood-lung of the Jhelum River. (R)

B. Non-Urban Lakes
a) Inland Fresh Water Lakes of India
1. Harike Lake, Punjab - 2850 ha. (R)
2. Kanjli Lake, Punjab, -490 ha - Religious significance. (R)
3. Keoladeo National Park or Bharatpur lake, Rajasthan -2873 ha. - Also called 'Ghana National park' - Most famous waterfowl reserve.(R)
4 Loktak Lake, Manipur - 31,200 ha - 'World’s only floating National Park'.(R)
5. Mirik Lake or 'Sumendu Lake' West Bengal – 47 ha. (NLCP)
6. Nalsarovar Lake, Gujarat - 12, 000 ha. (R)
7. Pong Dam lake, Himachal Pradesh - 15,662 ha. (R)
8. Ropar lake, Punjab, -1365 ha. (R)
9. Renuka lake, Himachal Pradesh - 75 ha - Shape of Lady - Embodiment of goddess Renuka.

b) Inland Brackish/Salt water Lakes of India

1. Lunar Lake, Maharashtra - 1.8 km in diameter, largest and oldest meteoric crater in the world.
2. Pangong Tso lake - Leh, J & K – 4,200 ha (approx) - Greatest lake in the Himalayas- Bi-nation lake (India & China).
3. Sambhar Lake, Rajasthan - India's largest salt lake - 24,300 ha - Ornithologists’ delight. (R)
4. Tsokar lake at 4,485 m - Leh, J&K -'Lake of salt'.
5. Tsomoriri lake or "Mountain Lake" at 4,595m , J & K - 12,000 ha -Highest cultivated land in the world. (R)

c) Sacred lakes & Tanks of India
1. Pushkar lake, Rajasthan.
2. Shambhu Lake, Maharashtra – 16 ha.
3. Sacred Tanks (Lakes), South India - Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala Pondicherry, and Tamil Nadu states - Also called 'Ponds', always dug below the ground level.

C. Coastal Estuarine Lakes of brackish water Lakes of India (Salt and Fresh Water Mix)
1) Ashtamudi Lake, Kerala - 61400 ha. (R)
2) Chilika Lake, Orissa - 1,16,500 ha - Largest brackish water lagoon in Asia. (R)
3) Kuttanad lagoon, Kerala, Five major rivers drain - Most area consists of freshwater - 'kayal' or backwaters - 'One of the few places below sea level with farming'
4) Pulicat Lake, Andhra Pradesh & Tamil Nadu, - 77,000ha - Second largest brackish water lagoon in India - Unique for its multi-ecosystem.
5) Vembanad-Kol Lake system, Kerala - 151,250 ha - Fed by 10 rivers -Two distinct segments of fresh water & salt water.(R)

D. Ephemeral Lakes of India (Beels, Jheels & Tals) of the Ganga - Brahmaputra Basins
1) Deepor beel or lake, Guwahati city, Assam -4,000 ha. (R)
2) Kawar (Kabar) Lake, Bihar- 6737 ha.
3) Kolleru Lake, Andhra Pradesh - 90,100 ha - Hemmed between Godavari and the Krishna river basins. (R)
4) Mokama Tal (Lake), Bihar -106,2 00 ha.