Some of the prominent lakes in Maharashtra are :
Tansa Lake
Tansa Lake and Tansa wildlife sanctuary is in the Thane district just North of Mumbai. The lake is a pleasant expanse of blue waters in natural settings of the sanctuary; a perfect place to shake off the stresses of the modern day mechanical life of the metropolis. The migratory birds can be sighted from September to March. The lake is also a major source of water to Mumbai.
Vaitarna Lake
Vaitarna lake is not actually in Mumbai, but it is a very important source of water for Mumbai suburb and far north locations like Virar and Vasai like the tulsi lake. It is located in Thane district location called ‘Wada Village’ quite near to Manor on western Express highway (Mumbai Ahmedabad Highway). It connects to vaitarna river that can be seen at small village and next station after Virar called ‘ Vaitarna Station’. Tansa and Batsa are 2 nearest lakes near Vaitarna, The vaitarna dam project was recently made a huge success with the yet not clear amount between of 550 crores to 2000 crores undertaking this drinking water dam project divided into Upper, Lower and Middle Vaitarna Dam. This lake brought relief to villagers near including virar vasai zone which were struggling with less water supply
Upwan Lake
Upwan Lake is another famous weekend getaway of Thane. The area has been declared a pollution free zone by the district municipal authorities reducing the vehicular traffic. The clean air, quiet and peaceful settings have further added to the appeal of place. The Talao Pali Lake of the city is considered the most picturesque and the most visited one too. Apart from these lakes, the city has umpteen Talaos, which translate to ponds. These are named on various Marathi personalities and names of localities.
Vihar Lake
The largest lake of Mumbai is located within the Borivali National Park. The lake is fed with rain water from the catchments of Powai-Kanheri hill ranges. The Tulsi and Powai lakes are the other two lakes in its vicinity. Due to security reasons the access to the lake is banned for the general public, but if you can manage to remove the general public tag, the doors of the lake would open for you.
Powai Lake
25 miles from Mumbai city is one the most scenic lakes of the financial capital of India. The Powai area is one the most happening places of Mumbai with well developed roads and residential layouts. Many of the Bollywood movies were shot in this locale before the fad of foreign locations set in. The premier Mumbai IIT is also located next to the lake.
Rankala Lake
The picturesque Rankala Lake is located in Kolhapur. The municipal authorities have recently completed the beautification project of the lake with a lakeside walk and cleaning up the lake water. The lake is also famous for boating and horse riding. The well kept gardens and lawns are the main attractions of the lake. It is especially famous with the kids and youth as a weekend getaway. The Shalini Palace Hotel, just yards away from the lake is the best option for stay for visitors and tourists.
Panshet Lake
Panshet Lake of Pune is a prominent picnic place and also known as the Chowpati of the city. Pune, once a laid back educational city of Maharashtra, is home to some lakes in scenic settings. The backdrop of Sahyadri hill ranges and several waterfalls give an ethereal beauty to the Panshet Lake. The lake is about 25 miles from Pune city. The other two prominent lakes of Pune are Pashan and Pimpri Lakes. Pashan lake is a few miles from Pune city and is a huge expanse of more than a hundred acres. The murky stagnant lake of today was once the water source for the residents of Pashan area and also the Governor’s House. The PMC (Pune Municipal Corporation) has began its drive to spruce up the lake and its surroundings, some results are already visible but a lot is desired.
Pimpri Lake
The richest municipality of Asia, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipality has developed this artificial lake. The tastefully developed lake with boating and fishing facilities is a great attraction for the Puneites.
Venna Lake
Venna Lake is the pride of the hill station of Mahabaleshwar, located just a small walk from the town. The lake was built by the Satara King with the primary purpose of water storage and supply to Mahabaleshwar. The lake has been developed into a tourist attraction with boating, fishing, horse riding and a plethora of wayside eateries. The fresh succulent strawberries of the town are a great attraction with the tourists.
Lonar Lake
The lake in Buldhana district of the state is a meteor crater. This is the third biggest meteor crater lake of the world with a diameter of a mile and more than 500 feet deep. The lake has a constant water flow from ‘Gomukh’, a devine Hindu place with innumerable myths and legends.
Khindse & Ambazari lakes
The city of Nagpur, in the northwest of the state, has Khindse and Ambazari lakes. The Ambazari Lake, just a few miles from the city is the place for kids with a giant dinosaur at the entry point and a musical fountain with dancing lights. The tiny-tot train, play grounds with swings and rocking Columbus boat would keep the kids busy and give a bit of time to their parents for a little chat. The aero modeling show of the weekend evenings is an attraction for the young and old.
Apart from the lakes, four major rivers the Godavari, Krishna, Tapi and Narmada flow through the state of Maharashtra. The Godavari is the main river of Mahrashtra with Indravati, Wardha, Mnajira, Penganga and Purna rivers as its primary tributaries. Krishna River with its origin at Mahabaleshwar flows through three states; Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. There are some smaller rivers like Mulla Muttha of Pune, which have become an open sewage drain with industrial effluents and city sewers draining into it. It is a solace that the industrialization bug has not bitten the inner districts of Maharashtra.
