Kanwar Lake (Kabartal)

 Local reports have confirmed that the dying Kabartal — Asia’s largest freshwater oxbow lake — needs urgent conservation efforts to be revived and made sustainable.

• About Kanwar Lake (Kabartal): Asia’s largest freshwater oxbow lake, located in Begusarai district, Bihar.

o Also known as Kabartal Jheel, it is a rainfed lake.

o Formed due to the meandering of the Gandak River, a tributary of the Ganga.

o Covers a significant portion of the Indo-Gangetic plains in northern Bihar.

o Declared a Ramsar site (2020) due to its ecological importance.

• Ecological Importance: A crucial stopover along the Central Asian Flyway, supporting 58 migratory waterbird species.

o Home to five critically endangered species, including: Red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvus), White-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Indian vulture (Gyps indicus), Sociable lapwing (Vanellus gregarius), and Baer’s pochard (Aythya baeri)

• About Oxbow Lake: A curved lake formed alongside a winding river due to erosion and sediment deposition.

o Crescent-shaped, commonly found in floodplains.

o Created when a river’s meander is cut off, leaving a standing water body.