Question

Name the largest artificial lake that was built in the 11th century.
A. Salal Lake
B. Bhopal lake
C. Tumkur lake
D. None of these

Answer 1

Hint: For its numerous natural and artificial lakes and for being one of the greenest cities in India, it is recognized as the City of Lakes. In India, it is the 16th largest city and 131st in the world. This is the state capital of Madhya Pradesh, the heart of India. The largest bird in India, the Sarus crane, can be found here.

Complete Answer:
Man-made lakes or reservoirs can result from the construction of a dam or as a complete artificial impoundment within a natural catchment area. In the former case, natural flow from upstream can fill the reservoir; in the latter, the water supply must be piped or pumped from a surface or subsurface source.
Option A. Salal Lake: A run-of-the-river hydropower project on the Chenab River in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir is the Salal Dam, also known as the Salal Hydroelectric Power Station.
- It was the first hydropower project established under the Indus Water Treaty regime by India in Jammu and Kashmir.
- Salal lake has a dam but this lake wasn’t built in the 11th century. Hence, this option is incorrect.

Option B. Bhopal lake: Bhojtal (Bhopal Lake), formerly known as Upper Lake, and Shah Ali shah talab, on the western side of Madhya Pradesh's capital city, Bhopal, is a large lake.
- For the city's inhabitants, it is a big source of drinking water, supplying about 40 percent of the citizens with almost 30 million imperial gallons (140,000 m3) of water per day.
- Together with the nearby Chota Talab, meaning a small Hindi lake, Bada talab constitutes the Bhoj Wetland, now a Ramsar site.
- Bhopal is known as the "city of lakes"; its name is derived from Bhoj Tal ("Bhoj's Lake"), an 11th century lake founded by Bhoj, a Hindu raja.
- Bhopal lake has two lakes, upper and lower lake, these are artificial lakes and were built in the 11th century. Hence, this option is correct.

Option C. Tumkur lake: Tumkur has many lakes but those lakes weren't built in the 11th century. Hence, this option is incorrect.

Therefore, The largest artificial lake built in the 11th century was Bhopal Lake. Hence, Option B. Bhopal Lake is the correct answer.

Note: Upper Bhopal Lake is arguably India's oldest man-made lake, and was built in the 11th century by Raja Bhoj by building an earthen dam across the river Kolans. The largest man-made lake in India is Gobind Ballabh Pant Sagar, located in the district of Sonebhadra, Uttar Pradesh. The lake is formed by the Rihand Dam reservoir.