Maharashtra: 50,000-yr-old Lonar Lake Turned Pink Overnight

The colour of water in Maharashtra‘s Lonar lake has mysteriously changed to pink. The 50,000-yr-old Lake in Maharashtra was created by the impact of an asteroid collision with earth during the Pleistocene Epoch. It usually has Green colour water but has changed to pink.

Experts are attributing the colour change to the salinity and presence of algae in the water body. The lake, which is a notified national geo-heritage monument, has saline water with pH of 10.5. Experts say this is not the first time that the colour change has happened, but this time it is more glaring.

From Green to Pink; Lonar Crater Lake has changed its colour.#LonarLake #LonarCrater #SaltWaterLake #MaharashtraTourism pic.twitter.com/2HmvOiyr6h

— Maharashtra Tourism (@maha_tourism) June 10, 2020

Gajanan Kharat, a member of the Lonar lake conservation and development committee, told PTI. “There are algae in the water body. The salinity and algae can be responsible for this change.”

Here is a video by Mr.Gajanan Kharat, Geologist, explaining to us why the colour of #LonarCrater Lake has changed. #LonarLake #MaharashtraTourism #MaharashtraUnlimited #Lonar pic.twitter.com/plZx7YFnF8

— Maharashtra Tourism (@maha_tourism) June 11, 2020

Kharat added, “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.”

Located around 500 km from Mumbai, The 113-hectare Lonar lake is also known as Lonar Crater. It is in Buldhana district of Maharashtra and a notified national geo-heritage monument. The lake attracts scientists from all over the world.

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