Which is the 2nd largest fresh-water lake of Asia, situated on the foothills of Haramuk Mountain?

Question

Which is the 2nd largest fresh-water lake of Asia, situated on the foothills of Haramuk Mountain?

1. A. Wular Lake (Correct answer)
2. B. Surinsar Lake
3. C. Dal Lake
4. D. Manasbal Lake

Correct Answer

Option A — Wular Lake

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Wular Lake.

Key Points

• Wular Lake, in Bandipora district, is the largest freshwater lake in India and among the largest in Asia, lying at the foot of the Haramukh mountain.
• It is fed chiefly by the Jhelum and acts as a natural flood basin for the Kashmir valley.
• Wular was designated a Ramsar site — a wetland of international importance — in 1990.
• Dal and Manasbal are far smaller valley lakes, and Surinsar lies in the Jammu region, so none of them fits the description.

Additional Information

• Wular is fed by the Jhelum and acts as a natural flood basin for the Kashmir valley, absorbing surges during heavy snowmelt.
• It was designated a Ramsar site in 1990, recognising it as a wetland of international importance.
• The Tulbul navigation barrage at its mouth has been a long-standing point of contention with Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty.
• Haramukh, the peak at whose foot the lake lies, rises to about 5,142 m in the Ganderbal-Bandipora area.