RAS question
India's largest freshwater lake is:
Correct answer: (B) Wular Lake, Jammu & Kashmir.
Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir is India's largest freshwater lake.
Explanation
Wular Lake, located in Bandipur district of Jammu and Kashmir, is India's largest freshwater lake, with the Supreme Audit Institution of India also identifying it as the country's largest freshwater lake. Its area is about 189 sq km, and it has had Ramsar-site status since 1990. Its exam relevance is not only its size: Wular is linked with the Jhelum river system and is important for flood absorption. The conservation angle matters because the lake faces pressure from siltation, encroachment and willow plantation. The official audit discusses Wular's conservation and management, including concerns over siltation, encroachment and inadequate removal of willow trees, which explains why it is often asked as both a lake-location fact and a wetland-management question.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Loktak Lake is an important freshwater lake in Manipur and the largest in north-east India, but the question asks for the largest freshwater lake in all of India.
- (C) Kolleru Lake in Andhra Pradesh is a large freshwater lake, but it is smaller than Wular Lake.
- (D) Dal Lake is in Jammu and Kashmir, but it is much smaller than Wular Lake and therefore does not match the size-based superlative in the question.
Concept
This tests the Indian geography theme of major lakes, wetlands and Ramsar-linked conservation facts. RAS repeats such questions because a single lake fact connects location, drainage, wetland status and environmental threats.