Pangong Tso, Leh – The Lake
Pangong Tso is an endorheic lake spanning
eastern Ladakh and West Tibet situated at an elevation of
4,225 m (13,862 ft). It is a long, narrow,
brackish lake spanning the Indian / Chinese border, in a valley in the upper
drainage basin of the Indus River, at the east end of the Karakoram Range. Only
the westernmost one-third of the lake lies in Indian territory. The lake is
viewed as being made up five sub-lakes, which are connected through narrow
water channels. The name Pangong Tso only applied to the westernmost
lake that is mostly in Ladakh.
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The main lake on the Tibetan side is called Tso Nyak (the
middle lake). It is followed by two small lakes called Rum Tso. The last
lake near Rutog is called Nyak Tso. The whole lake group was and is
still often referred to as Tsomo Nganglha Ringpo in Tibetan. These lakes
are formed by natural damming of the valley. Five rivers fed by perennial
springs and snowmelt flow into the Indian portion of the lake. The runoff from
the west end of the lake flows northwest into the Shyok river, a tributary of
the Indus. The whole lake group is about 134 km (83 mi) long and
extends from India to Tibet.
Approximately 50% of the length of the overall lake lies within Tibet
administered by China, 40% in Indian-administered Ladakh, and the remaining 10%
is disputed and is the de facto buffer zone between India and China. The lake
is 5 km (3.1 mi) wide at its broadest point. All together it covers
almost 700 km2. During winter the lake freezes completely, despite
being saline water. It has a land-locked basin separated from
the Indus River basin by a small, elevated ridge, but is believed to
have been part of the latter in prehistoric times.
Formerly, Pangong Tso had an outlet to Shyok River, a tributary of Indus
River, but it was closed off due to natural damming. Two streams feed the lake
from the Indian side, forming marshes and wetlands at the edges. Strand lines
above current lake level reveal a 5 m (16 ft) thick layer of mud and laminated
sand, suggesting the lake has shrunken recently in geological scale. The
eastern part of the lake is fresh, with the content of total dissolved
solids at 0.68 g/L, while the western part of the lake is saline, with the
salinity at 11.02 g/L.
A fossil freshwater mollusc Lymnea auricularia was discovered
in ancient lacustrine clay deposits above the present level of lake, providing
evidence that earlier it was a freshwater lake. The lake is surrounded by three
mountain ranges namely Changchenmo Range and Pangong Range sub-ranges
of Karakoram Range, and Kailash Range (Gangdise Shan range). Changchenmo
Range runs along the eastern and northern bank of the Pangong Tso and
contains spurs Finger-1 to Finger-8. Pangong Range, along the southern
bank of the Pangong Tso, runs from Tangtse in west
to Chushul near the centre of southern bank of the lake.
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The Changchenmo Range and Pangong Range are sometimes considered
easternmost part of the Karakoram Range. Kailash Range runs along southern
bank of the Pangong Tso, from centre of Pangong Tso at Lukung to the
west to Phursook Bay and Mount Kailash. Changchenmo
Range has several glaciated spurs which slope down and jut into the
northern bank of Pangong Tso, and these spurs are called as the fingers.
From west to east, these are named as the Finger-1 to Finger-8.
The Indian claim of LAC runs east till the Finger-8, and the Chinese claim of
the LAC runs west till the Finger-4.
The overlapping LAC claim area between Finger-4 and Finger-8 is
considered a buffer zone by India and China. Indian Military has a
permanent base near the Finger-3, named as the Dhan Singh Thapa
Post, and the Chinese Military has a permanent base to the east of
Finger-8. Pangong Range has several important features, from northwest to
southeast namely Harong peak, Merag peak, Kangju
Kangri peak, and Kongta La pass. Kailash Range on the
southern bank of Pangong begins from Lukung, runs eastward
via Thakung Heights, Helmet Top, Phursook Bay, till
India-claimed-LAC at Bangong Co.
Other important features in this range are Helmet Top, Black
Top, Gurung Hill, Spanggur Gap, Spanggur Tso, Rezang
La, Rechin La, Rezang La II, etc. China-Claimed-LAC runs via
Finger-4 in Changchenmo Range on north bank of Pangong Tso to Phursook Bay on
south bank, then via Helmet Top, Gurung Hill, Spanggur Gap, Magar Hill,
Mukhpari, Rezang La (1962 battle), Rezang Top, Rechin La, Rezang La
II, Mount Sajum. India-Claimed-LAC runs further northeast of
China-Claimed-LAC via Finger-8 in Changchenmo Range on north bank of Pangong
Tso to Bangong Co on south bank, then via Black Top and Gurung Hill, and then
along the same alignment as the China-Claimed-LAC via Spanggur Gap, Rezang La,
etc.
India-Claimed-border runs further northeast of India-Claimed-LAC
via Khurnak Fort on north bank of Pangong Tso to Mumkun peak on south
bank, to Laban peak, Matung Nyungtsa, Spanggur
Tso, Dage peak, Rechihlong and Bapi peak. The Khurnak Fort lies on
the northern bank of the lake, halfway of Pangong Tso. The Chinese has
controlled the Khurnak Fort area since 1952. To the south is the smaller
Spanggur Tso lake. An Inner Line Permit is required to visit the lake
on the Indian side, as it lies on the Sino-Indian Line of Actual Control.
For security reasons, India does not permit boating. Groups are
permitted, accompanied by an accredited guide. The past few years have seen a
remarkable increase in Indian tourists flocking to Pangong Lake. However, this
surge has presented environmental challenges due to inadequate infrastructure
to accommodate and manage the growing number of visitors. In 2023, on the
Indian side the tourists are allowed to visit only the eastern and southern
bank, access to the north bank is not yet open for the tourists.
Flora & Fauna:
For
brief details, please refer below link;
https://explore-natural-beauty-of-india.blogspot.com/2025/07/pangong-tso-leh-flora-fauna.html
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