Context: The Naini Lake, one of Nainital’s key attractions, has recorded a water level of 4.7 feet in 2025 — marking a five-year low.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Location of the Lake; Factors responsible for deterioration of health of a wetland.
Naini Lake
- The Naini Lake is a natural kidney-shaped lake in the heart of Nainital, surrounded by seven hills.
- Location: Nainital, Uttarakhand
Naini Lake Crisis
- With the record depletion of water level, there are concerns that the lake could go below the zero level.
- This does not mean that the lake will dry up, but that its water level will go below the normal gauge level, which is set for each lake based on historical data.
- With its deepest point at 89 feet, the Naini Lake has a gauge level of 12 feet.
- There are concerns over drinking water scarcity ahead of the summer season. 10 million litres is extracted everyday from the lake to supply drinking water to the city. Over 75% of the Nainital city’s water demand (in 2024) was met alone by the Naini Lake.
Reasons for deteriorating health of the Lake:
- Decrease in snowfall and rainfall in the winter months, compounded by long-term issues surrounding the lake’s upkeep. Annual mean temperatures in Uttarakhand have increased by nearly 1.5 degrees Celsius between 1970 and 2022. The warming is affecting rainfall and snowfall.
- Man-made manipulations have led to the degradation of recharge zones.
- Encroachments and illegal construction coming up near the lake have reduced the catchment area.
- Also, construction of concrete structures causes low rainwater infiltration, worsened by the low rainfall in some years.
- Enhancing siltation and dumping debris in Sukhatal Lake (major aquifer recharge area for Naini lake) is causing the lake to shrink from its two-hectare area.
- Pollution from discharge of untreated wastewater, solid waste, and inadequate sewer systems, which ultimately discharge into the Lake.
- Pressure from increasing population, the increase in tourist activity, and commercialisation of nearby areas have impacted the health of the lake.
Several petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court and the state High Court to stop concretisation of the lake bed, revamp Sukhatal Lake, and ban commercial complexes in Nainital. However, there has been no concrete step to restore the health of the lake and its aquifers.