The 56,000-years-old Lonar lake in Maharashtra’s crater sanctuary lake in Buldhana district has turned pink overnight and spiked the interest of the forest department.
The 77.69-hectare lake area is part of the Lonar sanctuary that totals 3.66 sqkm. It is the world’s largest basaltic impact crater.
“We are observing this for the first time. We will collect samples of the lake water for testing to find reason behind the occurrence. These samples will be sent to NEERI (National Environmental Engineering Research Institute), Nagpur, and Agarkar Research Institute, Pune,” TOI quoted MN Khairnar, deputy conservator of forests (wildlife), Akola as saying.
The reason behind the sudden pink turning of the lake’s water is being suspected to be due to the presence of algae. However, the same has not been confirmed yet.
Also Read: Just Some Videos Of Adorable Pandas Doing What They Do Best – Enjoy Life As It Happens
“We will be collecting water samples and sending it to NEERI soon. We will know the exact reason within two weeks,” HT quoted MS Reddy, additional principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) and field director, Melghat Tiger Reserve as saying.
Another Tale
A similar incident was reported in Umria lake in Iran. The scientist, when studied the phenomenon, said the during summer season, the water in the water body lowers and turns salty. The increased salinity and warm water become breeding ground for Dunaliella algae.
“This algae, under such circumstance turns red in colour. The halobacteria also uses a red pigment to absorb sunlight and convert it to energy. This also turns the water red. With monsoon, the water level will increase and water temperatures will go down turning the lake water back to its normal coloration,” Reddy said.
Also Read: This Woman Is The Voice Behind The Mandatory Corona Warning You Hear Before Every Call
The officials have said that the change is not harmful but must be studied as a sudden change could be anything.
