| Mookaneri Lake | |
|---|---|
| Kannankurichi Lake | |
_Lake.jpg) Mookaneri Lake with the Shevaroy Hills in the background | |
  Mookaneri Lake | |
| Location | Kannankurichi, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Coordinates | 11°41′11″N 78°10′45″E / 11.68639°N 78.17917°E |
| Type | Lake |
| Basin countries | India |
| Surface area | 23.5 ha (58 acres)[1] |
| Islands | 47[2] |
| Settlements | Salem |
Mookaneri Lake, also called Kannankurichi Lake, is a lake in Kannankurichi, in the Salem Taluk of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, that covers an area of 23.5 hectares (58 acres).[3] It is located to the south of the Shevaroy Hills and is a major body of water in Salem. The lake is fed by rainfall, including the hills surrounding Yercaud, which flow into the lake via the Puthu Yeri and Kothukaran Odai streams.[4][5]
There are 47 man-made islands in the lake. Each island was created by excavating and piling lakebed clay about 10 feet high, and covers an area of a few thousand square feet.[1] Initially, millet was planted on the islands to arrest erosion and help build a soil layer before saplings of neem, banyan, jambul, peepal, and vetiver trees could be planted.[6] The lake islands were populated by nearly 12,000 trees as of 2013.[7]
- ^ a b Ananth, M.K (1 September 2013). "Pathways to man-made islands in Mookaneri Lake demolished". The Hindu. Salem. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
- ^ Muthahar Saqaf, Syed (3 November 2017). "A wedding on an island with a message". The Hindu. Salem: The Hindu. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
- ^ "Mookaneri Lake bund found 'encroached upon'". The Hindu. Salem: The Hindu. 30 December 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
- ^ "Mookaneri Lake filling up". The Hindu. Salem: The Hindu. 26 May 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
- ^ "Mookaneri Looks Like Ocean". Dinakaran. Salem: Dinakaran. 13 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ^ "TN couple to get married on an island". Salem: The News Minute. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
- ^ Pankaja, Srinivasan (15 June 2013). "A lake comes to life". The Hindu. Salem: The Hindu. Retrieved 2 February 2018.