Lonar Lake Colour Changes to Pink
Maharashtra’s Lonar lake in Buldhana district, has changed colour. Watch our latest video to know more.
An asteroid is a small rocky object that orbits the Sun and other planets. A meteor is what happens when a small piece of an asteroid called a meteor, burns up upon entering Earth's atmosphere. Maharashtra’s Lonar lake was formed after a meteor hit the Earth some 50,000 years ago. It is located around 500 km from Mumbai and is in Buldhana district. It is a popular tourist hub and also attracts scientists from all over the world. The colour of water in the Lonar lake has changed to pink. The change in colour of water has surprised locals and also nature enthusiasts and scientists.
According to experts, the colour change is due to salinity and the presence of algae in the lake. Experts say this is not the first time that the colour change has happened. But this time it is clearer. Gajanan Kharat, member of the Lonar lake conservation (protection) and development committee said, “There are algae in the lake. The salinity and algae can be responsible for this change. There is an example of a lake in Iran where water becomes reddish due to an increase in salinity.” Kharat said that the level of water in the Lonar Lake is currently low as compared to a few years back there is no rain to pour fresh water in it. The low level of water may lead to increased salinity and change in the behaviour of algae because of atmospheric changes. This may be the reason for the colour change.”
Dr Madan Suryavanshi, head of the geography department of Aurangabad’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University said looking at the level of this colour change it cannot be because of human intervention. A team of scientists from the Nagpur-based National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) will visit the Lonar lake and collect its water samples to analyse why it has turned pink.
