Gobind Sagar Lake

About Gobind Sagar Lake:

• It is a manmade reservoir located in the Una and Bilaspur districts of Himachal Pradesh.
• It is named in honour of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru.
• Its source is the Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej River.
• One of the world's highest gravity dams, the Bhakra Dam is perched at an elevation of 225.5 m above its lowest foundations.
• Gobind Sagar reservoir is 90 km. long and encompasses an area of approximately 170 sq. km.
• The maximum and mean depths of the reservoir are 163.07 m and 55 m, respectively, making it one of the deepest man-made lakes in the world. 
• It is surrounded by lush green hills and the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas.
• It is also the third-largest in the country concerning the storage of water. 
  • It helps in supplying water for irrigation to the states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, significantly benefiting agriculture in the region.
• Flora and Fauna:
  • In 1962, the lake was recognized as the 'waterfowl refuge.'
  • Even today, the Gobind Sagar Lake is home to many species of birds and animals like Panther, Wolf, Chausinga, Sambar, Hyena, Sloth bear, Nilgai, Chinkara and wild boar. 
  • It is home to fifty species and sub-species of fishes namely Tor Putitora (Mahasheer), Labeo Dero (Gid), Mystus Seenghala (Singhara) and mirror carp.