Integrity Score 570
No Records Found
No Records Found
Kabar Lake is one of the largest freshwater oxbow lakes of India, which is spread in a vast area of 64 square kilometres and acts as a shelter for hundreds of species of domestic and migrant birds. It lies between Burhi Gandak, Old Bhagmati and Kareh rivers.
The lake is formed by the meandering action of Gandak River and is now a residual ox-bow lake. In years of average rainfall, it gets connected with Burhi Gandak (a tributary of River Ganga) and with nearby Nagri Jheel and Bikrampur chaurs, which unitedly form a lake of about 7400 ha. By late summer however, the water is confined to the deeper depressions and only about 300-400 ha of Kabartal remains flooded and cut off from the adjacent floodplains (chaurs). As the water level recedes, over 2800 ha of the exposed mudflats are converted into rice (paddy) fields. In 1951, a drainage channel was excavated to expose additional areas for agricultural purposes, but the channel silted up in few years, and the lake reverted to its former condition. In recent years, further siltation of the overflow channel has resulted in slight fluctuation in water levels throughout the lake.
As the lake area remains wet and submerged for a major period, it has developed special wetland vegetation along with the other inhabiting species. Perhaps, that also suggests why the identification of Allakappa is being proposed for it by some scholars.
To be continued.....