Lecture-1-An Overview of Lakes and Their Management-The Indian Scenario

Abstract

There is no specific definition for Lakes in India. The word "Lake" is used loosely to describe many types of water bodies — natural, manmade and ephemeral including wetlands. Many of them are euphemistically called Lakes more by convention and a desire to be grandiose rather than by application of an accepted definition. Vice versa, many lakes are categorized as wetlands while reporting under Ramsar Convention. India abounds in water bodies, a preponderance of them manmade, typical of the tropics. The manmade (artificial) water bodies are generally called Reservoirs, Ponds and Tanks though it is not unusual for some of them to be referred to as lakes. Ponds and tanks are small in size compared to lakes and reservoirs.