Bhoj Wetland

The Bhoj Wetland consists of two lakes located in the city of Bhopal, the capital of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The two lakes are the Upper Lake and the Lower Lake, which lie to the west of the city center. The Upper Lake has an area of 31 km², and drains a catchment or watershed of 361 km². The watershed of the Upper Lake is mostly rural, with some urbanized areas around its eastern end. The lower lake has an area of 1.29 km². Its catchment is 9.6 km² and is mostly urbanized; the Lower Lake also receives subsurface seepage from the Upper Lake.

The Upper Lake was created by King Bhoj (1005-1055), ruler of Malwa. He established Bhopal (also named after him) to secure the eastern frontier of his kingdom. The lake was created by constructing an earthen dam across the Kolans River. The Kolans was formerly a tributary of the Halali River; with the creation of the Upper Lake and a diversion channel, the upper reach of the Kolans River and the Upper Lake now drain into the Kaliasote River. A weir at Bhadbhada, at the southeast corner of the Upper Lake, was constructed in 1965 and now controls the outflow to the Kaliasote.

The Lower Lake was created in 1794 by Nawab Chhote Khan, Minister of Nawab Hayath Mohammad Khan, to beautify the city. It is also contained behind an earthen dam, and drains into the Halali River via the lower reach of the Kolans River, presently known as the Patra Drain. Both the Kaliasote and Halali Rivers are tributaries of the Betwa River.

The lakes are home to a diverse flora and fauna, including many waterbirds. They have been designated a wetland of international importance under the international Ramsar Convention.

External links

* [http://www.epcobpl.org/bwl-main.html The Bhoj Wetland Project]
* [http://www.ramsar.org/photo_essay_india_bhoj.htm Bhoj Wetland photo essay]
* [http://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/freshwater_wetlands/our_work/ramsar_sites/bhoj_wetland_.cfm Bhoj Wetland (WWF India)]