In what has become the big talking point across the country, Maharashtra’s Lonar lake, also known as the Lonar crater in Maharashtra, has turned pink. While the people are stunned due to sudden change, scientists attribute it to the presence of salinity and algae in the lake.
Situated about 500 km from Mumbai, Lonar lake has always drawn the attention of scientists as it is one of the four known, hyper-velocity, impact craters in basaltic rock anywhere in the world. Experts say that this isn’t the first time the lake has changed its colour. However, this time it is more evident and glaring.
Gajanan Kharat, member of the Lonar lake conservation and development committee says the lake, which is a notified national geo-heritage monument has saline water with a pH of 10.5. There are algae in the water body. The salinity and algae can be responsible for this change.
He has also cited the example of a lake in Iran where water turns reddish due to increased salinity.
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“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 colour change. This is not the first time that the colour of water has changed”, Kharat told news agencies.
Incidentally, the Talawe wetlands near NRI Complex in Navi Mumbai had also turned pink last month during the lockdown.