Lakes of Odisha - Odishatutorial.com

Lakes of Odisha

Odisha has both natural and artificial lakes.

Natural Lakes

Odisha has many natural lakes. These are described as follows:

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Ansupa Lake

It is a freshwater lake that looks like a horse-shoe shape and is situated at the foot of the Saranda Hills. It lies on the left bank of the Mahanadi River, which is opposite Banki in the Cuttack district of Odisha. It was formed due to the meander shifting of the Mahanadi.
This lake acts as a shelter for migratory birds in the winter season. The lake is 5 km long and 1.6 km wide. The lake is directly linked with the Mahanadi River by a channel known as Kabula Nalla.
This channel works as both an outlet and an inlet, through which flood water enters the lake and excess water goes out after the flood.

Chilika Lake

It is located on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River. It is roughly pear-shaped. It has been formed due to the silting action of the Mahanadi River.
It is spread over three districts of Odisha, namely Puri, Khurda, and Ganjam.
It covers an area of about 1,165 sq km during the monsoon and 900 sq km in the summer.
The length of this lake is 64.5 km, and its breadth is 18 km. It is also an ecosystem with large fishery resources.
In 1981, it was designated as the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
Chilika Lake was declared a bird sanctuary by the Government of Odisha in 1987.
It is the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia. Near the village Motto, a 32-kilometer-long, narrow outer channel, Muggermukh, connects this lagoon to the Bay of Bengal.
The lagoon has a number of islands, e.g., Krushnaprasad, Nalaban, Kalijai, Somolo, Honeymoon, Breakfast, Barakuda, and Birds Islands.
The lake also experiences flocks of migratory waterfowl from different regions of the world, like the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, the Aral Sea, the Kirghiz Steppes of Mongolia, remote parts of Russia, Central and South-East Asia, Ladakh, and the Himalayas.
The deepest part of this lake is located at Kalijai.

Kanjia Lake

It is a tiny freshwater lake. The lake is located south of Barang in the Chandakar area of Khurda district.
It covers an area of about 0.75 square kilometers. It is surrounded on three sides by flat hillocks of this lake, with a slope to the east.
The Botanical Garden lies on the northern hillocks of this lake, and the Nandankanan Zoological Park lies on the southern hillocks.

Pata Lake

It is a freshwater lake that lies in Chhatarpur town in the Ganjam district of Odisha. It is about 4 km long and 500 m wide.
It is one of the main tourist attractions in Odisha.

Sara Lake

It is a freshwater lake. The lake is located near Puri district. It is 5 km long and 3 km wide.

Tampara Lake

It is another freshwater lake located alongside the town of Chhatrapur in the Ganjam district of Odisha. It is 4 km long and 0.5 km wide.

Artificial lakes and reservoirs in Odisha

Hirakud Reservoir

It is located 16 km north of Sambalpur district. It covers an area of 743 sq km. It is a part of the Hirakud Dam, which is built over the Mahanadi River and is the longest dam in the world.
The lake experiences the visit of many migratory birds during the winter. These birds include the common red-crested pochard, the great-crested pochard, the grebe, and many others.

Kolab Reservoir

It is an artificial lake that is part of Kolab Dam. It is located in the Koraput district of Odisha.

Sorada Reservoir

This artificial reservoir is located near Berhampur in the Ganjam district of Odisha.
The reservoir is also known as Sorada Ghai. It is mainly used for irrigation purposes.