Sambhar Salt Lake
| Sambhar Salt Lake | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | Rajasthan, India |
| Coordinates | 26°58′N 75°05′E / 26.967°N 75.083°ECoordinates: 26°58′N 75°05′E / 26.967°N 75.083°E |
| Type | Salt lake |
| Catchment area | 5,700 km2 (2,200 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | India |
| Max. length | 35.5 km (22.1 mi) |
| Max. width | 3 to 11 km (1.9 to 6.8 mi) |
| Surface area | 190 to 230 km2 (73 to 89 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 0.6 to 3 m (2.0 to 9.8 ft) |
| Max. depth | 3 m (9.8 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 360 m (1,180 ft) |
| Settlements | Sambhar Lake Town, Jabdinagar, Govindi, Gudha, Jhak, Nawa, Jhopak, Ulana. |
| Official name | Sambhar Lake |
| Designated | 25 March 1990 |
The Sambhar Salt Lake, India's largest inland salt lake, is located 96 km southwest of the city of Jaipur (Northwest India) and 64 km northeast of Ajmer along National Highway 8 in Rajasthan. it surrounds the historical Sambhar Lake Town.
The lake receives water from an endorheic basin of 5700 square km catchment area, which is not a part of the Ganga river basin area but is geographically a separate land locked river basin. The lake is an extensive saline wetland, with water depth fluctuating from as few as 60 centimetres (24 in) during the dry season to about 3 meters (10 ft) at the end of the monsoon season. It occupies an area of 190 to 230 square kilometers based on the season. The lake is elliptically shaped with a length of approximately 35.5 km and a breadth varying between 3 km and 11 km. The lake stradddles Nagaur and Jaipur districts and borders on the Ajmer district. The circumference of the lake is 96 km, and it is surrounded by the Aravali hills on all sides.
The Sambhar lake basin is divided by a 5.1 km long dam made of sandstone. After the salt water reaches a certain concentration, it is released from the west side to the east side by lifting dam gates. To the east of the dam are salt evaporation ponds where salt has been farmed for a thousand years. This eastern area is 80 square km and comprises salt reservoirs, canals and salt pans separated by narrow ridges. To the east of the dam is also a railroad, built by the British (before India’s independence) to provide access from Sambhar Lake City to the salt works.
...
Wikipedia