COLLECTION FROM MONASTERIES

TSOMGO LAKE, SIKKIM

The Multicolour Lake Of India

Settlement Near Tsomgo Lake

The Multicolour Lake Of India

There are about 227 lakes and wetlands in Sikkim, many of which are revered by the people as holy. While Gurudongmar and Keopchari are popular with the tourists, Tsomgo lake at an altitude of 12,400 ft above sea level, is perhaps Sikkim's most visited tourist spot.

Tsomgo, located about 35 km from Gangtok on the Gangtok - Nathula Highway which forms a part of the Old Silk Route connecting India and China, has recently seen heavy tourist footfall with over 3 lakh visitors a year. In Bhutia language, ‘Tso’ means ‘lake’ and Mgo’ means ‘head’, which translates into ‘source of the lake’. About 1 km long and 15 meters deep, the lake gets its water from the melting snow from the mountains around it. Tsomgo is believed to be sacred by Buddhists and Hindus and is shrouded in myths, beliefs and faith. Local legend has it that in ancient times, the Buddhist saints used to predict the future by observing the changing color of the lake; a dark, gloomy tint told of difficult times and unrest in the region.

Though local communities derive their livelihood from the lake, heavy people traffic proved taxing to its health. About 35 shops sitting neck to neck on the right side of the lake were major contributors to its pollution. Chips packets, plastic bags, left-overs etc would ultimately find their way into the lake. This lead s to one of the major problems of waste collection on the bank of lake and which indirectly har ms the environment

Tsomgo Lake is the temporary home of migrating birds and brahmini ducks. But due to bad waste management facility from past 5 years migration of birds is also on halt to a certain extent

Several authorities and waste management programs are carried out her e to control the waste and the market is also shifted from the periphery of the lake to another suitable location nearby, and , the waste generated is being collected in a Resource Recovery Centre, segregated and then t ransferred to landfil sites