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Question

Which one of the following is the largest fresh water lake in India?

This question was previously asked in
CDS I 2019 Elementary Mathematics Previous Year Paper (03-Feb-2019)
The correct answer is

Wular

Identifying the largest freshwater lake in India requires comparing the sizes and types of various significant lakes across the country. Freshwater lakes are crucial sources of water and support diverse ecosystems.

Largest Freshwater Lake in India Explained

The question asks which among the given options is the largest freshwater lake in India. Let's examine each option:

Chilika Lake Analysis

Chilika Lake is located in Odisha and is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest lagoon in the world. However, it is a brackish water lake, not a freshwater lake. Brackish water is a mix of fresh and saltwater.

Loktak Lake Analysis

Loktak Lake is located in Manipur. It is famous for the floating phumdis (heterogeneous mass of vegetation, soil, and organic matter) on its surface, including Keibul Lamjao National Park, the only floating national park in the world. Loktak is a significant freshwater lake in India, but it is not the largest by area.

Dal Lake Analysis

Dal Lake is situated in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. It is a beautiful and very popular freshwater lake, often called the "Jewel in the crown of Kashmir" or "Srinagar's Jewel". While culturally and environmentally important, its area is significantly smaller than the largest freshwater lake in India.

Wular Lake Analysis

Wular Lake is also located in Jammu and Kashmir, in the Bandipora district. It is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia. Formed as a result of tectonic activity, it is the largest freshwater lake in India. Its size varies seasonally but is substantially larger than the other freshwater lakes listed.

Comparing Freshwater Lakes by Size

Based on area, Wular Lake is significantly larger than both Loktak Lake and Dal Lake. Chilika Lake, while large, is not a freshwater lake.

Lake Name Location Type of Water Significance (Size Context)
Chilika Odisha Brackish Largest coastal lagoon in India
Loktak Manipur Freshwater Known for phumdis; significant but not largest freshwater lake
Dal Jammu & Kashmir Freshwater Important for tourism; smaller than Wular
Wular Jammu & Kashmir Freshwater Largest freshwater lake in India

Conclusion: Identifying the Largest Freshwater Lake

Comparing the characteristics and sizes of the lakes mentioned, Wular Lake stands out as the largest freshwater lake in India among the given options and overall.

Therefore, the correct answer is Wular.

Revision Table: Key Facts on Indian Lakes

Lake Location Key Feature Type
Wular Jammu & Kashmir Largest Freshwater Lake in India Freshwater
Dal Jammu & Kashmir Urban Lake, Houseboats Freshwater
Loktak Manipur Floating Phumdis, Keibul Lamjao National Park Freshwater
Chilika Odisha Largest Coastal Lagoon in India Brackish
Vembanad Kerala Longest Lake in India Brackish/Freshwater (depending on location/season)
Sambhar Rajasthan Largest Inland Saltwater Lake in India Saline

Additional Information on Indian Lakes

Lakes in India serve various purposes, including irrigation, drinking water, transportation, tourism, and supporting biodiversity. They are formed through different geological processes, such as tectonic activity (like Wular), volcanic activity, glacial erosion, or river action (oxbow lakes). The type of water (freshwater, brackish, saline) depends on factors like proximity to the coast and sources of water inflow. Understanding the types and locations of prominent lakes is important for geography and environmental studies.

  • Freshwater Lakes: Typically fed by rivers and rainfall, found inland. Examples: Wular, Dal, Loktak.
  • Brackish Lakes: Mix of fresh and saltwater, often found near coastlines where rivers meet the sea. Examples: Chilika, Pulicat.
  • Saline Lakes: High concentration of salts, often found in arid or semi-arid regions with high evaporation and no outlet. Examples: Sambhar.
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Similar Questions

  1. Which one of the following lakes in India has a large quantity of a substance found in the Moon?

  2. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists :

    List I

    List II

    (Drainage Pattern of River)

    (Feature)

    A.

    Insequent

    1.

    Whose direction of flow is controlled by the rock structure

    B.

    Consequent

    2.

    No apparent reason why it follows the path it takes

    C.

    Subsequent

    3.

    Flow in the same direction as the consequent stream but at a lower level

    D.

    Resequent

    4.

    Whose course is determined by the original slope of the land
  3. Identify the type of drainage pattern on the basis of the given characteristics:

    1. It represents the most common pattern of streams and their tributaries

    2. It occurs in areas of uniform rock type and regular slope

    3. A map, or aerial photograph, shows a pattern like the veins on a leaf- smaller streams join the main stream at an acute angle

    Select the correct answer. 

  4. Which of the following statements regarding river meanders is/are correct?

    1. It is a U-shaped bend in a river.

    2. An extremely tight meander is called a goose neck; it is likely to become a cutoff, or oxbow lake, after a flood.

    3. Tectonic uplift can cause a river to continue downcutting along its meandering course, producing incised or entrenched meanders.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below. 

  5. Which one of the following Indian cities is not located on a river bank?

  6. Which one of the following is not a tributary of the river Ganga?

  7. Consider the following tributaries of river Brahmaputra:

    1. Lohit

    2. Teesta

    3. Subansiri

    4. Sankosh

    Arrange the above rivers from west to east:
  8. The Luhri Hydro-Electric Power Project is being constructed on the river

  9. What will be the correct sequence of cities on the bank of river Ganga if someone moves from west to east?

  10. Which one of the following river valleys of India is under the influence of intensive gully erosion?


Important Questions from Indian Rivers and Water Resources

  1. Which one of the following lakes in India has a large quantity of a substance found in the Moon?

  2. Which is the longest tributary river in India?

  3. ‘Ong’ and ‘Tel’ are tributaries of the river ______.

  4. Consider the following statements :

    i. Alamatti dam is on the Cauveri river.

    ii. Mettur dam is on the Krishna river.

    iii. Gandhi Sagar Reservoir is on the Chambal river.

    Which of the statement given above is/are correct ?

  5. Charre-Marre waterfall is located in which Valley ?

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