Bilawali Lake, Indore

Bilawali Lake lies beside the Indore–Khandwa road in Indore. The Holkars of Indore State created it in the early 20th century, and it marked its centenary in 2016. Together with the protected land around it, the lake covers some 400 hectares and is managed by the Indore Municipal Corporation.

After independence the lake suffered: shrines sprang up on its banks, nearby residents encroached on it, and fishing, poaching, grazing and dumping badly harmed its ecology. Today people come to spend time by the water, and the Fisheries Department harvests fish from it. A canoeing and kayaking stadium is being built, with plans to turn the lake into a water-sports and tourism destination.