The Lonar Lake in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra suddenly turned pink in recent days. Experts believe that the change is likely due to either increased salinity in the water, the presence of algae or a combination of both.
Some experts have attributed the change to the mixing of dunaliella algae with halo bacteria, forming a beta carotine pigment and turning the water pink.
The Lonar Lake, which is located about 500 kilometers east of Mumbai, formed after a meteorite hit the Earth some 50,000 years ago.
The Lonar lake, having a mean diameter of 1.2 km, is located within Lonar Sanctuary and the Forest Department is responsible for its maintenance.
It is the world’s third-largest crater formed because of a meteorite strike.
The crater has been notified as the National Geo-Heritage Monument of India.
