Monday, October 31, 2011

Lakes In Mumbai

Powai Lake In Mumbai
The Powai is a huge artificial lake that is situated in the Northern suburbs of Mumbai. It was after the name of the lake that the suburb of Mumbai is named.towards the west of the Indian Institute of Technology, the premier institute of Science and Technology. The lake, built by the British in 1890, adds to the charm of the Bombay city of India. It owes it name to Framaji Kavasji Powai Estate, belonging to a Parsi merchant. Just 25 km from Central Mumbai, Powai Lake is a perfect retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
However, the serene and pleasant ambience of the place attracts a lot of tourists throughout the year. It also serves as a great picnic spot for the people to wander lazily around its bank and enjoy the bliss of solitude. The natural beauty of the place is simply enthralling and leaves you spell bound. Powai Lake is easily approachable from King's Circle, Sion and Kurla as well as from Santa Cruz and Andheri. A delightful car drive can be enjoyed when traveling by car. The lake is a stretch of water just by the side of a motorable road.
During the British Rule the authorities intended to augment the water supply to Bombay City by creating a lake from the rivulet and this was achieved in the year 1891 by the construction of two stone barrages approximately 10 meters high across the two hillocks. Thus a man made water body was created that spread across an area of 370 acres or 2.10 sq. kms with its depth varying from 10 meters to 40 meters at its deepest. Due to the an excessive average rainfall of about 2540 mm at the place the lake overflows for more than 60 days in a year. The lake, which was built at a cost of approximately 6.5 lakh rupees, was named as the ‘Powai Lake’, after Framaji Kavasji Powai Estate. Though the lake water is now unfit for drinking, its beautiful and serene surroundings continue to attract visitors


Vihar Lake In Mumbai
Vihar Lake brags of being the largest of all the three lakes of Mumbai. Similar to Tulsi Lake, this lake too shares the site of Sanjay Gandhi National Park. It is a quiet stretch of water, about 27 miles from the center of Bombay.
It is regarded as the major water resource for Mumbai. Most of the regions in the South Mumbai get water supply because of this lake only. This beautiful lake attracts a lot of tourists and is also a favorite place to hangout in the city of Mumbai. This lake is precisely located in the Borivali National Park in Mumbai. This park is present in the Northern Mumbai. Vihar Lake, Mumbai is sandwiched between the Tulsa Lake and Poway Lake . These lakes are also present in the same vicinity of the Borivali National Park. This lake is feeded by the Powai-Kanheri hill ranges. This hilly range serves as the catchment area for rainwater. This lake serves most of the water requirements of the city and gives a lot of relief to other water resources, which are diverted or other uses. However, the overflow limit of this lake has been determined to be 80.42 meters.
This unruffled place also has a sunset point, which offers a spectacular view of the sun at dusk. Mountains on one side and national park on the other make this lake a sought-after destination. On its northern banks, there is a water treatment plant that has water pipelines running along the eastern fringe of the lake.
This beautiful lake attracts a lot of tourists and is also a favorite place to hangout in the city of Mumbai.owever, since 1995, the access has been curtailed to quite an extent. You can catch a glimpse of the Vihar Lake in many Bollywood movies, for which it is one of the most popular shooting locations. The lake is visited, in large numbers, by the local people as well as the tourists coming to the Mumbai city. It has become a very famous venue for picnics, because of its beautiful surroundings. The serenity of the Vihar Lake provides the best relief from the mundane and hectic city life.
Tulsi Lake In Mumbai
Tulsi Lake is a serene lagoon that offers a nice place to the people away from the furore of city. It happens to be the second largest lake of Mumbai that is clean enough to provide drinking water to the Bollywood city of India. Located at a distance of 32 km in the north of Bombay, Tulsi Lake is to be found within the fringe of the famous Sanjay Gandhi National Park.Tulsi lake was built after Vihar Lake as city needed more water supply, This Lake is located Near borivali National park and a person can reach this place by Car or Bus with travel distance about 25 to 27 kilometers towards North Suburb.
Being sited in the national park, the way to the lake is covered with trees, plants and shrubs. It is not open to the general public and one needs to take permission from the park authorities to visit the lake. One needs to be careful because it is said that fresh water crocodiles inhabit the lake. To put succinctly, Tulsi Lake is a beautiful place, clear of chaotic city life, where water and lush greenery make the ideal respite for any solitude seeker.
The idea to create this lake was conceived in 1872 and accomplished by 1897. 139.17 metres is its highest overflow level, recorded at the meter. This fresh water lake primarily fulfills the water requirement of the southern part of Mumbai. Mumbai’s second largest lake is Tulsi Lake. It is one of the lake which supplies Drinking water to the Mumbai City. Its overflow level is measured at 139.17 metres. The Powai-Kanheri hill ranges serve as the catchment area for rain water which feeds the lake. It meets part of the city’s water requirement, especially to the South Mumbai region

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