Environmental collapse: 315 lakes vanish in IIOJK since 1967
Srinagar: In a major environmental concern, a staggering 315 out of 697 lakes in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) have disappeared since 1967, resulting in the loss of 2,851.26 hectares of water area over nearly six decades.
According to Kashmir Media Service, these findings were revealed in a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.
The report states that IIOJK originally had 697 lakes, including 367 in the Jammu region and 330 in the Kashmir Valley. Of these, 315 lakes, 259 in Jammu and 56 in Kashmir, have vanished, causing a loss of 1,537.07 hectares of water area.
Additionally, 203 lakes, including 144 in the Valley and 59 in Jammu, have shrunk in size, collectively losing 1,314.19 hectares as their total area declined from 8,566.55 hectares in 1967 to 7,252.36 hectares in 2020. Among these, 63 lakes have lost over 50% of their area, placing them at high risk of extinction. Conversely, 150 lakes—104 in Kashmir and 46 in Jammu—saw an increase of 538.22 hectares, while 29 lakes remained unchanged.
The CAG report links lake disappearance and shrinkage to severe ecological consequences, including losses in flora, fauna, and critical ecosystem services.
It also highlights the role of lake depletion in extreme flooding, citing the massive Kashmir floods of September 2014. “Research conducted by scholars from various institutions had attributed the floods to changes in land use and shrinkage of lakes,” the report noted.
This alarming trend underscores the urgent need for sustainable lake conservation and restoration efforts in IIOJK.
