Chand Kishore Sharma
One of the beautiful lakes in the sind valley,Kashmir is surrounded by Majestic hills and fine scenery.It is the deepest freshwater lake found in the Safapora area of Ganderbal district of Jammu & Kashmir.This lake is often called as the ” Supreme gem of all Kashmir lakes”and offers a unique, serene environment for bird watching and enjoying nature especially when the lotuses are in bloom during the summer months.
The best time to visit the lake is between May and October since the temperature is pleasant and ideal for sightseeing.The lake is easily accessible by road ,about 30 km from Srinagar . The road to Wular lake , the largest freshwater lake passes through this lake via Safapora.The nearest airport is Srinagar which is 43 Km away from this lake.Vande Bharat train connects Katra Railway station with Kashmir Valley.
The name Manasbal is said to be a derivative of the lake Manasrover.
This lake is encircled by three villages viz.,Jarokbal,Kondabal and Gratbal.Close to the northern shore of the lake are the ruins of a Fort,called the Jharokha Bagh which was built in 17th century by a Mughal king to cater the needs of the caravans that used to travel from Punjab to Srinagar.On the south,overlooking the lake is a hillock Ahtung which is used for lime stone extraction.The eastern part of the lake is mainly mountaneous and towards the north is an elevated plateau known as “Karewa”comprising lacustrine,fluviatile and loessic deposits.
The total surface area of the lake is about 2.81km square(1.08sq mil),maximum length of the lake is 5km whereas maximum width is 1km. Since Manasbal is the deepest fresh water lake in India ,the average depth is 4.5m (15ft) and maximum depth is 13m (45 ft).The surface elevation of the lake is 1583m (5194 ft).
This lake is renowned for its lotus blooms ( Nelumbo nucifera) at the periphery of the lake adds to the beauty of the clear water of the lake.The rootstocks ( rhizomes) of the lotus plant are harvested and marketed and also extensively eaten by the people of Jammu and kashmir.The local population uses the lake as a source of
water,for fishing and for obtaining food and fodder plants.In recent years,tourism has caught the Manasbal lake in a big way and as a consequences there is lot of pressure on the terrestrial ecosystem.As a result of human pressure, the lake has become eutrophic.The water body is virtually chocked with submerged weeds particularly during summer.
Manasbal is classified as warm monomictic lake and circulates once in a year.The other lakes in the region either have weak stratification or are polymictic.The lake has no major inflow channels and the water supply is maintained through spring water inflow and precipitation.An outlet channel connects the lake with the Jhelum River.The outflow of the water is regulated artificially.
It was in the year 2007 that lake restoration measures could be undertaken with the formation of Wular-Manasbal Development Authority (WMDA) under the government of Jammu & Kashmir.WMDA has undertaken lot of measures for the restoration and to improve the general environment of this lake.
(The author is JKAS Officer serving as Joint Director J&KEDI).
The post Majestic Manasbal Lake “Supreme gem of all Kashmir Lakes” appeared first on Daily Excelsior.