Umiam Lake (locally known as Dam sait) is a

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contr ...

in the hills north of

Shillong Shillong () is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a state in northeastern India, which means "The Abode of Clouds". It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the 330th most populous city in India with a ...

in the state of

Meghalaya Meghalaya (, or , meaning "abode of clouds"; from Sanskrit , "cloud" + , "abode") is a state in northeastern India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: (a) the United Khasi Hills and J ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. It was created by damming the Umiam River in the early 1960s. The principal catchment area of the lake and dam is spread over 225 square km.

History

Umiam Dam, which impounds the lake, was built by the

Assam State Electricity Board The Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) ( Assamese: অসম ৰাজ্যিক বিদ্যুৎ পৰিষদ) is a State Statutory Body of the state of Assam in India. It is under the ownership of Department of Power, Government o ...

in the early 1960s. The dam's original purpose was to store water for hydroelectric power generation. The Umiam Stage I powerhouse, north of the lake, has four 9-MW turbine-generators, which entered commercial operation in 1965. Umiam Stage I was the first reservoir-storage hydroelectric project commissioned in the northeastern region of India. (Umtru Hydroelectric Project, a

run-of-river Run-of-river hydroelectricity (ROR) or run-of-the-river hydroelectricity is a type of hydroelectric generation plant whereby little or no water storage is provided. Run-of-the-river power plants may have no water storage at all or a limited amou ...

project with an original capacity of 8.4 MW, began operation in 1957.) Three more stages of the Umiam Project were subsequently built downstream.

Tourist destination

The lake serves as a major tourist attraction for the state of Meghalaya. It is also a popular destination for water sport and adventure facilities. Tourists visit this spot for kayaking, water cycling, scooting, and boating. Umiam Lake by Dr Vikramjit Kakati

Ecological effect

Apart from storing water for electricity generation, the lake also provides numerous

ecosystem service Ecosystem services are the many and varied benefits to humans provided by the natural environment and healthy ecosystems. Such ecosystems include, for example, agroecosystems, forest ecosystem, grassland ecosystems, and aquatic ecosystems. ...

s at micro, meso and macro levels. Downstream irrigation, fisheries, and drinking water cater to local anthropogenic needs.

Toxic threat and silting

Due to the rising population of

upstream of the lake, the lake is starting to become highly polluted. Also, there is the heavy problem of silting. An estimated of silt enters Umiam Lake every year. Causes range between upstream encroachments, deforestation, blockage of natural drainage systems, and unscientific mining ''et al.'' in the catchment area. Excessive silt load in the lake has lowered the storage.

Gallery

File:Roadside View of Umiam Lake.jpg , Roadside view of Umiam Lake File:View1 Umiam Lake.JPG , View of Umiam Lake File:View2 Umiam Lake.JPG , View of Umiam Lake File:View3 Umiam Lake.JPG , View of Umiam Lake File:Umiam Lake - by Vikramjit Kakati.png , Sunset at Umiam Lake File:Umiam Lake, Shillong, Meghalaya, India.jpg , View of Umiam Lake File:By the Umiam lake.jpg , Magnificent Umiam lake File:UMIAM-1.jpg , Lakeside boats, Umiam Lake File:Umiam Lake View.jpg , Umiam lake view

References

External links

Umiam lake faces toxic threatUmiam Dam satellite mapSiltation and Pollution Contribute to Power Crisis in ShillongPollution of Umiam Lake
Lakes of Meghalaya Reservoirs in India East Khasi Hills district Tourist attractions in Meghalaya {{Meghalaya-geo-stub