Which option contains only coastal lakes?

Correct answer: Chilika and Pulicat

The direct answer is A, Chilika and Pulicat. A coastal lake or coastal lagoon lies near the sea and is often separated from it partly by sand bars, spits or barrier beaches. Chilika is a famous coastal lagoon in Odisha, and Pulicat is a coastal lagoon on the eastern coast near Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Therefore, the chain is: Chilika = coast and lagoon; Pulicat = coast and lagoon; so A contains only coastal lakes. Option B, Wular and Nainital, contains inland lakes in Kashmir and Uttarakhand, not coastal lakes. Option C, Sambhar and Dal, also contains inland lakes: Sambhar is an inland salt lake in Rajasthan and Dal is in Srinagar. Option D, Bhimtal and Barapani, refers to inland highland lakes, not coastal lagoons. Option A is correct because both members satisfy the same coastal category. Memory cue: Chilika–Pulicat is a useful pair for Indian coastal lagoons.