Kanjli Lake is an integral part of Kanjli wetland and is located in the district Kapurthala of Punjab. This lake was created in 1870 originally for providing the irrigation facilities to the vicinity by constructing head works across a tributary of Beas river, the perennial Kali Bien rivulet. The geographical location of the Kanjli lake is 31 Degree 25' North Latitude and 75 Degree 22 ' East Longitude. It falls under the administrative boundary of Kapurthala District of Punjab and is exactly located in the Kanjli village which is around 4 kms away from Kapurthala. This lake is spread over an area of 184 ha.

It supports a wide diversity of life forms and is home to a broad range of flora and fauna. The rich biodiversity of the Kanjli wetland which subsumes Kanjli lake comprises of terrestrial, mesophytic and aquatic flora and fauna including some significant species of plants and animals. It is a winter habitat to about 50 species of migratory birds.  This lake is quite popular for its scenic beauty and possesses amazing infrastructure for boating and fishing activities for tourists.

Kanjli Wetland

Spread over an area of 490 ha, Kanjli wetland is upstream of Harike Wetland which is located in the Beas river basin. It is an artificial wetland and has been internationally recognized by Ramsar Convention since 2002. This convention has designated Kanjli lake in the list of few wetlands that are of international importance. It is one of the unique positioned wetlands of Punjab. As other wetlands, Kanjli wetland also comprises of the key attributes of wetlands that subsume hydrology, that is, the degree of soil saturation or flooding, wetland vegetation, that is, hydrophytes, and hydric soils.

Along with this wetland, a 26 ha area has been created along Kali Bien as suitable habitat for various organisms. It supports a broad spectrum of flora and fauna. This wetland is significant for several species of plants which hold ecological significance. However, it is facing certain general problems that include excessive weed growth, increasing levels of pollution, and reduced inflow of water, soil erosion and excessive grazing, deforestation in the catchment area of the lake.

Flora

A wide variety of trees that are recorded in this lake and wetland include Ziziphus Mauritiana, Syzgium Cumini, Prosopis Juliflora, Morus Alba, Melia Azedarach, Mangifera Indica, Eucaluyptus Hybrid, Acacia Arabica and some more. The flora also possesses some varieties of shrubs and herbs.

The original terrestrial vegetation of this area can be classified as Northern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest category. However, excessive deforestation in the catchment area has reduced the diversity of vegetation flora in the area.

Aqua Flora

In the category of Aqua flora include 15 species of Macro Invertebrate, 34 species of Zoo Plankton and 11 species of aqua flora. Diverse types of floral species hailing from xerophytes, mesophytes and hydrophytes have been reported in the area.  

Fauna

Kanji Lake majorly supports Lotic fauna. These include about 4 species of mammals, 50 species of birds, 35 taxa of invertebrates and 12 taxa of fishes. One common reptile reported in the area is torotoise and some of the common fish species include Labeo Calbasu, Cirrihinus Mrigala, Cythus Striatus,  Chana Marulius and Catla Catla.

The migratory birds include Shoveller, Mallard, Pintail, Large Whistling teal, Common Teal, Wigeon, White Eyed Pochard and various species of Goose.

The mammalian fauna includes common Indian hare, Squirrel, Indian Porcupine, Mongoose and India Civet.

How to Reach

By Rail

To reach Kanjli lake by rail, one can choose to reach any of these nearest railway sttaions - Jalandhar Cantt and Phagwara Jn., which are at a distance of about 21 and 43 kms from Kanjli lake respectively. On reaching these railway stations, you can hire a taxi or can board a state transport bus.

By Road

Road connectivity to the Kapurthala town is quite good and it its connected with all the major cities of Punjab and Chandigarh through road transport buses. On reaching Kapurthala, one can hire a local taxi to reach the lake.

By Air

The nearest airport is Ludhiana Airport which is at a distance of about 80 km from the lake. Chandigarh Airport can also be reached from any part of India and from Chandigarh one can hire a taxi or can board a state transport bus to reach the lake.