The legend of the Lake Of No Return goes back to World War Two. Allied airplanes that were flying over “the hump” sometimes for lack of fuel had to ditch their planes short of Assam. The flat valley and lake at Pangsau was the only potential runway to land a plane in this hilly and mountainous area.
About Lake Of No Return :
Lake of No Return (Nawng Yang in Burmese) body of water in Burma, lying in the area of the Pangsau Pass (3727′) on the India-Burma border south of Pangsau (also called Pansaung) village. The lake is 1.4 km in length and 0.8 km in width in its widest part. It is located 2.5 km to the SW of the Ledo Road, formerly called Stilwell Road, the road the Western Allies started building in 1942 to supply the Chinese armies of Chiang Kai-shek.
The area is home to the Tangsa tribe. Since the improvement of relations between India and Burma, the lake has come to play a part in the development of tourism in the nearby Indian Changlang District, which borders on Burma.
Attractions Of Lake Of No Return In Arunachal Pradesh :
Lake of no Return is a natural Lake in Nampong. The Lake has got tragic memories from the World War II. It is located near Pangsau pass which is the International border between India and Myanmar, Burma.
The lake is 1.4 km in length and 0.8 km in width. The lake attracts a number of curious tourists and has a spectacular natural view around.
The legend of the Lake Of No Return goes back to World War Two. Allied airplanes that were flying over “the hump” sometimes for lack of fuel had to ditch their planes short of Assam. The flat valley and lake at Pangsau was the only potential runway to land a plane in this hilly and mountainous area. Many pilots lost their lives flying ‘the hump’ and it is said that there are still a number of World War Two airplanes sunk at the bottom of the Lake Of No Return.
Features Lake Of No Return :
The famous lake called The Lake of no Return in Myanmar side which can be viewed from Pangsau pass is 12 Km away from Nampong. During World War II, large numbers of Aircrafts were reported to have perished into this lake. Perhaps, the lake served the Allied Pilots for soft landing into the lake water during return mission when the Aircrafts got hit by enemy or out of mechanical snags in the Aircrafts.
The Pilots had chosen this lake for emergency landing in case of imminent Air crush and therefore, many aircrafts were reported to have crashed in to the lake.
History :
The lake has many stories associated with it –
During World War II, a number of pilots chose the lake for emergency soft landing when they were attacked by the enemies. In this process a number of aircrafts disappeared and drowned in the lake. So the Americans called it as “Lake of no return” as the pilots did not return from here.
After losing the battle, The Japanese soldiers lost their way and perished into the lake.
During the construction of the Ledo road, the American soldiers went to examine the lake and got stuck in the plantation of the lake, here never to come back.
A number of British troops got lost in the sand lake.
The local tribes believe that any aircraft that flies over the lake never comes back to reaches its destination.
How To Reach Lake Of No Return :
The Lake of no Return is 12 km from Nampong. Tourists can hire a local cab/taxi to reach the lake. It is advisable to have a private vehicle hired and reach the lake as public transport may be difficult to find while coming back.
Lake Of No Return Local Info :
Assistant Commissioner, Nampong,
Phone: 03800 264211, Mobile: 9436227134
Accommodation : There is an Inspection bungalow and a Circuit house having accommodation.