315 lakes vanished, 203 shrunk in JK: CAG Report
JAMMU, Apr 9 (PTI): The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has flagged alarming degradation of lakes in Jammu and Kashmir, revealing that 518 out of 697 natural lakes — over 74 per cent — in the Union territory have either disappeared or decreased in size since 1967, leading to significant ecological imbalance and loss of biodiversity.
As per the CAG report on the conservation of lakes in Union territory for the year ended March 31, 2024, out of the total 697 lakes with a total area of 28,990 hectares, as many as 315 lakes covering 1,537.07 hectares have disappeared, while the area of 203 lakes shrank by 1,314.19 hectares. “There was total decrease and disappearance of area of 2,851.26 hectares in 518 lakes,” the report stated.
The CAG strongly recommended a series of measures for effective conservation and management of lakes in Jammu and Kashmir, stressing the need for a structured and time-bound approach.
