ECOLOGICAL CRISIS IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR

Why In News?

A 2026 Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report reveals a severe ecological crisis in Jammu and Kashmir, where 315 of 697 lakes have vanished since 1967.

What are the Key Highlights of the CAG Report?

Vanished Water Bodies: Out of the 697 lakes recorded in the base year (1967), 315 lakes (45%) have entirely disappeared.

Shrinking Habitats: Another 203 lakes have witnessed a sharp decline in water spread, with 63 losing more than half their size and facing a high risk of extinction.

Loss by Region: Of the 315 vanished lakes, 259 were in the Jammu region and 56 in the Kashmir Valley.

Flood Vulnerability: The audit links the destruction of these natural "sponges" to increased flood risks, citing the devastating 2014 floods as a direct consequence of the region's inability to absorb heavy rainfall. 

What are the Key Reasons for the Disappearance of Lakes?

Institutional Fragmentation: Responsibility for managing lakes is divided among multiple departments like Revenue, Agriculture, and Forests, leading to a lack of coordinated action. 

Rampant Encroachment & Land-Use Change: Failure to demarcate lake boundaries has enabled widespread illegal encroachment. 

Pollution and Infrastructure Deficit: Urban lakes like Dal Lake are polluted due to malfunctioning Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and the direct inflow of untreated sewage. 

• This increases the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), causing eutrophication and excessive weed growth.

Financial Neglect: Between 2017-2022, a mere 1% of J&K’s capital expenditure budget was allocated for lake conservation, and it was restricted to only six major lakes. The remaining 691 lakes received no dedicated funding or management plans.

Socio-Economic and Ecological Impact

Climate Resilience & Flood Regulation: Lakes and wetlands act as natural sponges. Their degradation reduced the Jhelum river basin's carrying capacity, a key factor behind the devastating 2014 Kashmir floods.

Biodiversity Loss: J&K's wetlands are critical habitats on the Central Asian Flyway. The degradation of Hokersar and Wular lakes threatens migratory birds like the Greylag Goose and has decimated local aquatic flora and fauna.

Economic Devastation: Livelihoods of thousands are at risk. Wular Lake, which supports nearly 60% of Kashmir's fish yield, is shrinking. 

Way Forward 

Establish a Unified Nodal Authority: Create a single, empowered statutory body like the Chilika Development Authority with jurisdiction over all documented lakes to end departmental silos.

Leverage Technology for Demarcation: Use modern tools like drone-based GIS mapping under schemes such as SVAMITVA to notify and demarcate lake boundaries and prevent further encroachment.

Unlock Financial Resources: J&K must prepare Comprehensive Management Action Plans (CMAPs) for all lakes to access funds under the central National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA).

Ensure Community Participation: Integrate local communities, especially the traditional Hanji (lake-dwelling) community, into conservation efforts. This will transform them into custodians of the ecosystem rather than encroachers.

Learn from Best Practices in Lake Conservation 

Conclusion

Reversing the crisis of J&K's vanishing lakes requires Integrated Lake Basin Management (ILBM), unified governance, and community action to ensure climate resilience.

Source: DOWNTOEARTH