MRD.Kundangar
Shafiqa Peer.
As mentioned earlier among the Himalayan States Jammu and Kashmir is leading State with 2104 high altitude lakes occupying around 11032 ha area. According to National wetland Atlas highest number of lakes in the altitudinal range of > 5000m are also observed in Jammu and Kashmir followed by Sikkim. The size wise distribution of high altitude lakes in Jammu and Kashmir is set in table.1.
Table.1 size wise distribution of high altitude lakes of J& K.( source: National wetland Atlas.)
The district wise distribution of high altitude lakes of J& K along with altitude and total area is set in table 2.
Table.2
(After National wetland Atlas.)
Some of the below mentioned lakes falling in various districts of the Valley stand studied earlier but most of these lakes are being studied for the first time for their water Quality and particularly for the impact of Climatic Changes what so ever.
Kalla sar lake:( Bandipur)
Bandipur kashmir is one of the beautiful towns situated at a distance of 87 km from Srinagar and is one of the attractive spots for visitors, nature lovers n trekkers n hikers as the entire area is beset with number of freshwater lakes. Among the various high altitude lakes is KALLA SAR which is trekked around 50kms from kudara Bandipora to Sarbal lake to Matusar lake to Kalasar lake . While trekking more ahead one can reach Yembal lake to Gangbal lake to Kundapani lake also. It takes around five days to complete the journey, full of adventure and experiences.
This lake is around 9.8 ha and is located at an altitude of 4000m from sea level and the lake was interestingly half frozen during the investigation period ( July,2023)
The lake waters are alkaline with a pH of 7.8 and Total alkalinity value of 45 mgL1-1.The other parameters are typical of an alpine lake except that of Nitrate- Nitrogen Which shows higher value of 880 ugL-1.
Gangbal Lake
Gangbal Lake, also called Haramukh Ganga, is an alpine high-altitude situated at the foot of Mount Haramukh in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir. It falls under the geographic coordinates 34°25’50”N 74°55’30”E; at an altitude of 3,575 metres.
Gangbal has been mentioned in Hindu texts like the Nilamata Purana as well as Rajatarangini. Authors like Walter Roper Lawrence and Francis Young husband also mentioned Gangbal lake.
The lake has a maximum length of 2.5 kilometres and maximum width of 1 kilometre . It is fed by precipitation, glaciers and springs and is home to many species of fish, including the brown trout.Water from the lake outflows into the nearby Nundkol Lake and then into the Sind River via Wangath Nallah.
The Gangbal lake despite being an alpine lake depicts drastic changes in its physico – Chemical characters by having comparatively higher conductive value of 450 us / cm and highest Nitrate- Nitrogen value of12172 ug L-1 ( 12.17 mgL-1) and 277 ugL-1 of Total Phosphorus.The Hydro Chemical changes can be attributed to the anthropogenic activities and climatic changes.The increasing trend of COD and BOD levels of the lake testify the same.
Kausarnag Lake
Kausar Nag or Kausarnag lake is a high-altitude lake located at an elevation of 3,500 metres (11,500 ft) above sea level.Kausar Nag is nestled in the lap of Pir Panjal peaks bounded by three sides. This snow fed lake falls in Kulgam and is the source of River Veshav. , a tributary of Jhelum.
The Kausar Nag Lake is accessible during the summer and can be reached from its trail-head Aharbal, by a 36 km hiking trail. Aharbal is connected with Srinagar, a 70 km motorable road passing through the towns of Shopian and Pulwama. According to Hindu Mythology, in Nilmat Times it was called by its Sanskrit name Kramasaras or Kramsara (Kramafootstep, Saras lake). Since it is supposed to mark the footstep of Visnu.
It is the main objective of the Naubandhana pilgrimage. Hussan the celebrated historian of Kashmir subscribes the same view in TAREEKH – HUSSAN and mentions that the lake is like the shape of a feet and is about 3 miles in length. Kausarnag lake is one of the two places in Kashmir Valley that is associated with worship of ‘Visnupad’.Author of Zeean Tarangni mentions that Sultan Budshah ( King Zainul Abidin) would often come to Kousarnag for recreational purposes.
The lake is roughly 3 km long and 0.75 km at the widest point. Interestingly the outfall of Kausarnag was found about 5 kms away from the lake as shown in picture.
The lake waters are alkaline with pH of 7.6 and Total alkalinity values of60 mgL-1 But depicting comparatively higher values of Iron content ( 905 ugL-1 ) with increasing trend of Nitrate – N ( 305 gL-1 ).
INDER SAR:
Indarsar lake is the high-altitude, pristine lake in the district, Kulgam and is located on the elevated alpine meadow of Astaan Marg, with a distance of 40 kms from Kulgam. it lies within geographical coordinates between 33°32’38”N 74°47’20”E .The lake is situated at an altitude of 3950 m.s.l.
“Indersar lake is 2 kms from Lahanpathri. God Indra who figures in Konsarnag mythology is associated with this lake. Unlike Ksirsar and Brahmsar, this lake finds no mention in Nilmat or Naubandhana mahatmya. Lake is circular in shape, about 1 km in circumference. Since the mountain peaks are little away. Hindu pilgrims usually easily do circumambulation of the lake. Lake water is warm as sunlight falls regularly on this lake. How the water from Indersar escapes is not known. Apparently there is no outlet, “….accounts Dr.R.K.Tamiri.-1982.
This alpine lake has alkaline waters with pH of 7.5 and alkalinity value of 56 mgL-1. However the lake water shows increasing trend of Iron ( 235 mgL-1 ) , Nitrate -Nitrogen ( 931 ugL-1 ) and highest Ammonical – Nitrogen content ( 1039 ugL-1 ) and Total Phosphorus ( 195 ugL-1 ). The C.O.D and B.O.D. Values (30 mgL-1 ) and 4.2 ( mgL-1 ) too are showing an increasing trend.
Having cursory look at the Studies hydro chemical parameters of all the high altitude lakes till date ( Table .3 and 4 ) one can conclude that the increasing trend of Nitrates and Phosphatesthere are as a result of two large pools potentially supplying nitrogen water column: catchment soils through runoff, and sediments through diffuse .A change in mixing regime could fundamentally alter chemical and biological conditions such as nutrient availability and the timing and duration of hypoxia in high altitude lakes. In addition, the relatively small size and high altitude of lakes may make them especially susceptible to changes in climate.
Studies suggest that climate change may impact the annual cycles of stratification in alpine lakes. High altitude regions are experiencing changing seasonal weather patterns and faster warming than the global average. The duration of ice cover on high altitude lakes is sensitive to these factors, and shorter ice cover duration has the potential to shift the mixing regime of lakes from dimictic to monomictic.
The two Spanish Scientists viz.Carlos Palacin -Lizarbe and Louis Camarero state ,“During the last decades, atmospheric nitrogen loading in mountain ranges of the Northern Hemisphere has increased substantially, resulting in high nitrate concentrations in many lakes. Yet, how increased nitrogen has affected denitrification, a key process for nitrogen removal, is poorly understood.
(Table 5)
- HYDRO CHEMISTRY OF HIGH ALTITUDE LAKES:
We conclude that increased nitrogen deposition has resulted in elevated denitrification rates, but not sufficiently to compensate for the atmospheric nitrogen loading in most of the highly oligotrophic lakes. However, there is potential for high rates, especially in the more productive lakes and landscape features largely govern this.”
Alpine lakes can be limited by nitrogen and thus even modest increases in nitrogen deposition can have significant effects including eutrophication, acidification and reduction of biodiversity, Opines E. j . Hundey , S.D. Russell and K. A. Moser in their publication in Nature Communication.
Similarly Ganz, T R; McMurray, J; Covey, K; Bettigole, and C. Benoit, G. while studying Chemical Effects of Snowmelt on an Alpine Lake in the Wind River Range, WY. Reveal that Nitrogen deposition from air pollution is Deep Lake in peak snowmelt (June) and from the increasingly reaching alpine lakes where the addition inlet, outlet, and middle of Deep Lake when the basin of nitrate and ammonium to sensitive surface waters was snow free (August). Study has shown some lakes increasing in nitrogen. Results indicate that atmospheric pollution in the pheric deposition is released from the snowpack and snowpack enters the lake with snowmelt. The time of day and cloud cover did not affect lake chemistry.
M. Bartrons, L. Camarero, and J. Catalan, Limnology Unit (CSIC-UB), Centre for Advanced Studies in their recent research article,” Nitrogen stable isotopes of ammonium and nitrate in high mountain lakes of the Pyrenees”reported that In high mountain lakes there are two large pools potentially supplying nitrogen water column: catchment soils through runoff, and sediments through diffusion / seasonal mixing. Catchment nitrogen loading is mostly in form of NO3 (Hoor2003), whereas internal loading from sediments is mostly NH4.two main nitrogen sources show contrasting N values and, as a consequent influence on the lake water column nitrogen pool can be traced.
Acknowledgement:
The authors highly acknowledge the assistance rendered by team MTTCH ,with particular reference to Pir. Mukhtar Ahmad, FAYAZ ahmad and Pir Rifat
The authors can be reached at mrdkundangar@me.com
