Water balance of Lake Nainital, Kumaun Himalayas

Existence of Lake Nainital has been a matter of debate in the last two decades, because it is the only source of drinking water to Nainital city, a famous tourist resort in northern India. In the tectonically active lake basin, naturally occurring landslides have genered sediments in huge amount. In addition, various anthropogenic activities viz. deforestation, construction activities and improper management of wastes have aggravated the rate of sediment delivery, endangering the life span and water availability of the lake.