Write a geographical note on Vishal Tal. (HPAS Mains Question Paper 2022 – GS 1, Q.7)
Vishal Taal: Named after Captain Vishal, who died in a helicopter accident into the gorge. Vishal Tal, also known as Suraj Tal, is an 800 m (2,600 ft) long lake located in the Lahaul and Spiti region of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, right below the 4,890 m (16,040 ft) high Bara-lacha-la pass. It is India’s third-highest lake and the world’s twenty-first-highest. Suraj Tal Lake is located close below the Bhaga River’s headwaters, where it meets the Chandra River downstream at Tandi to create the Chandrabhaga River in Himachal Pradesh.
Suraj Tal is 65 kilometres (40 miles) from Keylong, the district seat of Lahaul Spiti. It may be reached by National Highway 21, also known as the Leh-Manali Highway. The road borders Suraj Tal, within 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) from the Bara-lacha-la pass. It is impassable from November to April because the access becomes completely snowbound during this time.
The glaciers and nullahs (streams) flow from the Bara-lacha-la pass to feed the lake. The pass is 8 kilometres long and is also known as the “Pass with Crossroads on Summit” since it connects highways from Zanskar, Ladakh, Spiti, and Lahaul.
The lake is located in the Upper Himalayan Zone or High Latitudinal Zone of the Himalayas, with a minimal population and polar-like climate conditions. While snowfall is scarce in this area, it is said to fall throughout the year. Rainfall precipitation is uncommon in the area. Snowfall from snowstorms is estimated to be less than 200 mm (7.9 in) in almost half of the storms, despite one observatory reporting 800 mm (31 in) of snowfall.
Beginning in early May, the precipitation starts to melt. On slopes, snow is often slackly bonded, with wind dispersing it. The average total snowfall recorded in a year is 12-15 m (39-49 ft), with a maximum temperature of 13 °C, a mean maximum temperature of 0.5 °C, a mean minimum temperature of 11.7 °C, and a minimum temperature of 27 °C. The zone’s terrain is made up of scree and boulders.
