518 lakes out of 697 have disappeared/shrunken alarmingly in J&K: CAG report

Bilkul Online

7 months ago

Srinagar, April 6 : A recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on Jammu and Kashmir has made an alarming disclosure that 518 lakes have either vanished completely or degraded beyond redemption. The CAG report has revealed an environmental crisis in Jammu and Kashmir, with 518 out of 697 surveyed lakes either having vanished or degraded.

The audit, which analysed data from 1967 to 2020, found that 315 lakes have completely disappeared due to rampant encroachment, urban expansion, and land-use changes. The CAG flagged the emerging ecological crisis in the union territory, which could worsen if immediate measures are not taken. The report specifically identified seven water bodies that have vanished, including Rakh-e-Arth, Sethergund Numbal, Marhama, Devpursar, Mahtan, Chandargar Numbal, and Galwal Talao, which have become ‘invisible’ after drying up completely. The degradation is largely man-made, driven by the conversion of wetlands into agricultural, residential, or commercial land. The report flags the failure of conservation programmes for major water bodies like Dal and Wullar, with untreated sewage and ineffectiveness of designated authorities cited as major issues.

Of the 315 vanished lakes, 235 were under the supervision of the Revenue and Agriculture Departments, while 80 were managed by the Forest Department. Only six key lakes (Dal, Wullar, Hokersar, Manasbal, Surinsar, and Mansar) received focus, leaving the remaining 691 without proper management plans. The CAG report recommends a specialised, unified authority to prevent further loss and ensure the restoration of these vital water bodies. In a related development, a recent scientific study has identified five high-altitude glacial lakes in the Kashmir Himalaya as having a “very high susceptibility” to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), which can be triggered by extreme weather events like cloudbursts. Research highlighted by local authorities identified the high-risk lakes as Bramsar and Chirsar (Kulgam), Nundkol and Gangabal (Ganderbal), and Bhagsar (Shopian). The study on the susceptibility and potential downstream implications across the Kashmir Himalayas was carried out by a team of scientists from the University of Kashmir.