A whopping 518 lakes, constituting 74%, have either disappeared or shrunk in Jammu and Kashmir that has resulted in the degradation of ecosystem and climate insecurity, according to the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Conservation and Management of Lakes for the period up to March 2022.
The report highlighted that 315 lakes, 45% of the total 697 lakes in J&K that constitute a water area of 1,537.07 hectares, have disappeared. “These lakes included 80 lakes (25%) falling under the jurisdiction of the Forest Department and 235 Lakes (75%) falling under the jurisdiction of Revenue Department and Agriculture Department,” it said.
The water area of 203 lakes (29% of 697 lakes) had decreased by 1,314.19 hectares. The report suggested that water in 63 lakes has disappeared by “more than or equal to 50%”. “Thus, there is a potential greater risk of extinction of these 63 lakes. 203 lakes included 98 lakes (48%), 83 lakes (41%), 20 lakes (10%) and two lakes,” it added.
Meanwhile, the water area of 150 lakes (22%) has increased by 538.22 hectares. “The water area of 14,535.76 hectares in 29 lakes (4% of 697 lakes) had remained static,” the report pointed out.
The CAG report suggested that the shrinkage of lake area was also one of the causes for massive floods in J&K in September 2014, “as lakes are natural flood balancing reservoirs and defense for the flood regulating system”.
