Jammu and Kashmir has lost nearly half of its natural lakes over the past five decades, with 315 out of 697 lakes disappearing since 1967, according to an audit analysis cited in a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). The findings highlight a sharp ecological decline and raise concerns about environmental sustainability and flood vulnerability in the region.
The analysis, based on data from the Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing Department (EE&RSD), shows that the Union Territory has witnessed a total reduction of 2,851.26 hectares in lake area since 1967. This includes the complete disappearance of 315 lakes covering 1,537.07 hectares, alongside a shrinkage of 1,314.19 hectares across 203 lakes.
The report underscores that 74 percent of the total lakes, amounting to 518 water bodies, have either vanished or suffered a decline in size. These losses, experts say, have significant implications for biodiversity, water security, and climate resilience.
A regional breakdown reveals that the Jammu division has borne the brunt of this loss. Out of 367 lakes recorded there in 1967, 259 have disappeared. In comparison, the Kashmir division, which had 330 lakes in the base year, has lost 56 lakes.
The decline is not limited to outright disappearance. Of the 203 lakes that have shrunk in size, 59 are located in Jammu while a larger share—144 lakes—are in Kashmir. Alarmingly, 63 of these lakes have lost 50 per cent or more of their water area, placing them at high risk of eventual extinction.
The CAG report notes that these changes have already resulted in a “loss in flora and fauna and other goods and services provided by these lakes,” pointing to a broader ecological imbalance.
Despite the overall decline, the data presents a mixed picture. The area of 150 lakes has increased by 538.22 hectares, while 29 lakes have remained unchanged. However, the audit flagged a lack of scientific scrutiny behind these gains.
“The reasons for increase in area of lakes were not analysed or monitored by the concerned departments,” the CAG report stated.
The absence of such analysis raises further questions about whether the increase in surface area reflects genuine ecological recovery or is the result of temporary or artificial factors. “Further, causes of increase in water area of 538.22 hectares in 150 lakes were not monitored or analysed by the concerned departments. In absence of monitoring of reasons for increase in water area by the concerned departments, audit could also not ascertain whether increase in the surface area of 150 lakes had actually led to increase in water volume of lakes or not,” it was pointed out.
The report also details administrative oversight of these water bodies. Of the total 697 lakes, 692 fall under the jurisdiction of the Forest, Revenue, and Agriculture departments. Among them are 185 lakes larger than five hectares, including prominent water bodies such as Wular Lake, Dal Lake, Hokersar Wetland, Manasbal Lake, Surinsar Lake, and Mansar Lake.
Jurisdictional fragmentation appears to have complicated conservation efforts. Among the lakes that have shrunk, 98 fall under the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), 83 under district administrations, 20 under the Wildlife Protection Department (WPD), and two under the Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LC&MA).
The report links the degradation of lakes to broader environmental risks, including increased vulnerability to floods. It specifically points to the devastating 2014 Jammu and Kashmir floods, suggesting that the shrinkage of lakes reduced the region’s natural capacity to absorb excess water.
“Thus, disappearance and decrease in the area of 518 lakes (74 per cent), as per CAG report, had resulted in degradation of ecosystem, loss of water, food and biodiversity, alteration in the interlinked carbon or nutrient and water cycles as well as climate insecurity,” the report noted.
Lakes, the audit emphasised, function as natural flood buffers and play a crucial role in regulating water systems. Their decline, combined with changes in land use, has weakened these ecological safeguards.
The findings come amid growing concern over climate change impacts in the Himalayan region, including glacier retreat and shifting hydrological patterns. Experts warn that continued neglect of lake ecosystems could exacerbate environmental instability, disrupt livelihoods, and heighten disaster risks in Jammu and Kashmir.
The audit ultimately calls into question the effectiveness of existing conservation policies and underscores the urgent need for coordinated monitoring, scientific assessment, and sustainable management of the region’s fragile water bodies.
