Uttarakhand
Bhimtal Lake
- 03 May 2024
- 2 min read
Why in News?
In response to a severe forest fire close to Nainital district headquarters the state government deployed the Army's MI 17 helicopters to fetch water from Bhimtal Lake and spray it over the affected forests.
Key Points
- Bhimtal Lake is the largest lake in the Nainital district, in the state of Uttarakhand. It is the largest lake in the Kumaon region, known as the "lake district of India".
- It is named after the second Pandava called Bhima of the famous epic Mahabharata.
- It is a natural lake and its origin is attributed to several faults that occurred due to the shifting of the Earth's crust.
- The lake was built during British time in 1883 and has a masonry dam built on it.
- The lake has rich flora and fauna around it and thick forests of pine and oak cover the hill slopes around the lake.
- It is home to a number of migratory birds in the winter months.
- Famous species found in the area include bulbul, wall creeper, Emerald Dove, Black Eagle, and Tawny fish owl.
- The lake has an island at its centre developed as a tourist attraction with an aquarium.
