Lakes

Lakes affect local drainage by storing water and regulating flow. Exam tip: connect lakes with storage and regulation.

A coastal lagoon is a shallow body of water lying beside the sea and partly separated from it by a sandbar, barrier beach, spit, or similar coastal feature. It may still have a connection with the sea through openings, so it is different from a completely inland lake. Chilika Lake lies along the coast of Odisha and is separated from the Bay of Bengal by a narrow sandy barrier, which gives it the character of a coastal lagoon.

Option B is therefore correct. The Himalayan location does not describe Chilika, and a lagoon is not restricted to deserts. Chilika was not formed inside a volcanic crater either. The key identifying feature is its coastal position and separation from the open sea by a barrier. The supplied answer and explanation correctly use this geographical basis.

An oxbow lake forms from a cut-off river meander. Exam tip: connect oxbow lake with curved river courses.

In dry regions evaporation reduces water and leaves salts behind. Exam tip: remember Sambhar with salt and salinity.

Wular Lake is associated with tectonic origin. Exam tip: remember Wular with Kashmir and tectonic lakes.

Siltation reduces depth and storage capacity of a lake. Exam tip: connect siltation with reduced capacity.

Loktak Lake is famous for floating phumdis. Exam tip: remember Loktak with Manipur and phumdis.

Vembanad Lake is linked with the backwater system of Kerala. Exam tip: connect Vembanad with Kerala backwaters.

Lakes can store excess water and reduce flood intensity. Exam tip: link water storage with flood control.

High evaporation and poor outflow leave more salts in water. Exam tip: connect salt lakes with dry climate.

Pulicat Lake is a coastal lake on India's eastern coast. Exam tip: remember Pulicat with the eastern coast.

Excess nutrients can increase algal growth and reduce water quality. Exam tip: connect nutrient pollution with eutrophication.

Water heats and cools slowly which moderates nearby temperature. Exam tip: study large water bodies with temperature moderation.

Kolleru Lake is in Andhra Pradesh near the Krishna and Godavari delta region. Exam tip: connect Kolleru with Andhra Pradesh.

Deforestation can increase soil erosion and silt in lakes. Exam tip: remember the link between catchment and siltation.

Being near the sea can make lagoon water saline or brackish. Exam tip: connect lagoons with coastal and sea water.

Lakes provide habitats for aquatic biodiversity. Exam tip: connect lakes with ecosystems.

Wular Lake is in Jammu and Kashmir and is linked with tectonic origin. Exam tip: remember location and origin together.

Industrial waste pollutes lake water and harms organisms. Exam tip: remember the link between pollution and biodiversity.

A lake’s water level changes according to its water balance. Water enters mainly through rainfall, streams, rivers, groundwater, and sometimes runoff. Water leaves through evaporation, seepage, outflow, and human use. During a wet season, rainfall and inflow may exceed losses, so the level rises. During a dry or hot season, evaporation and reduced inflow may exceed rainfall, so the level falls.

Option B is correct because the difference between rainfall and evaporation is a major direct control of seasonal lake-level change. In a complete study, inflow, outflow, groundwater, and extraction should also be considered, but the other options are clearly unrelated. Earth’s revolution alone does not determine a particular lake’s level, and solar eclipses or the colour of sea fish have no meaningful controlling role. The supplied answer B is accurate.