Factsheet

Muskan Aanand 19110016

Name of the Wetland: Lonar Lake
Location: Buldhana District, Maharashtra, India
Map:

Nature of the Wetland: Natural

Wetland Type:

o River Floodplains o Swamps

o Lakes o Estuaries
o Ox-Bow Lakes o Marshes
• Other (Specify): Impact Crater Lake

Ramsar Site:

• Yes o No

Date of Designation of Ramsar Site Status: 22 -07-2020

Designation Criteria(s):

o 1 o 2 o 3 o 4 o 5 o 6 o 7 o 8 o 9

No. Criteria
1 A wetland should be considered internationally important if
it contains a representative, rare, or unique example of a
natural or near-natural wetland type found within the
appropriate biogeographic region.

2 A wetland should be considered internationally important if

it supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered
species or threatened ecological communities.

3 A wetland should be considered internationally important if

it supports populations of plant and/or animal species
important for maintaining the biological diversity of a
particular biogeographic region.

4 A wetland should be considered internationally important if

it supports plant and/or animal species at a critical stage in
their life cycles, or provides refuge during adverse
conditions.

5 A wetland should be considered internationally important if

it regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds.

6 A wetland should be considered internationally important if

it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of
one species or subspecies of waterbird.

7 A wetland should be considered internationally important if

it supports a significant proportion of indigenous fish
subspecies, species or families, life-history stages, species
interactions and/or populations that are representative of
wetland benefits and/or values and thereby contributes to
global biological diversity.

8 A wetland should be considered internationally important if

it is an important source of food for fishes, spawning
ground, nursery and/or migration path on which fish stocks,
either within the wetland or elsewhere, depend.

9 A wetland should be considered internationally important if

it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of
one species or subspecies of wetland-dependent non-avian
animal species.

Area: 427 ha
Protection Status:

o Wildlife Sanctuary o Reserve Forest

o National Park o Bird Sanctuary
o Conservation Reserve o Community reserve
 • Other (Specify): National Geo – Heritage Site

Management Authority: Earlier managed by B. S. Thengdi. Office of Divisional Forest

Officer Wildlife Akola Division, Akola . Mr. M.N. Khairnar, Divisional Forest Officer

General Overview of the selected Wetlands (300 words):

(History, Local Significance, Perceived changes, etc.)
Lonar Lake is popularly identified as Lonar crater and is identified globally as National Geo
heritage Monument, saline and soda Lake. Lonar lake is a impact crater lake which was
created due to a meteorite impact during the Pleistocene Epoch. Its mean diameter is 1.2
kms and the crater rim is about 137 m. The water here is both saline and alkaline.
The lake has also a great significance historically. It was first mentioned in ancient scriptures
such as Skanda Purana and Padma Purana. The area was once a part of the Maurya Empire
and then the Satvahana Empire. It was also ruled by the Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas and
thus has many temples around the periphery of the lake mainly known as Yadava temples.
This site was declared as tourist attraction in 2022.
The crater today has 5 different zones :

1. The outermost ejecta blanket

2. The crater rim
3. The slopes of the crater
4. The crater basin, excluding lake
5. The crater lake
The wetland supports around 30 different species of tree, 10 species of shrubs, 13 species of
climbers, 8 species of herbs and 6 species of grasses. The lake also has around 12 species of
mammals, 160 species of birds, 46 species of reptiles, 7 species of amphibians and 14 species of
molluscs. The lake is of high archaeological, cultural and spiritual importance.

But along with the protection today the lake faces many threats both anthropologically and
environmentally. Use of fertilizers, pesticides and dumping of sewage is one of the major concerns
for the lake. Other issues also pose threat to the lake surroundings and ecosystem. The lake is now
protected as a landmark and is being recognized as historical and archaeological heritage.