Srinagar, April 18 — The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has warned that Jammu and Kashmir’s Hokersar Lake is undergoing rapid ecological decline due to large-scale encroachment, pollution inflows and gaps in conservation planning, with over 2,500 kanals of its area already under unauthorised use.
In its audit report for 2023–24, the CAG said 2,528.10 kanals of the wetland have been encroached upon for “construction, plantations and agricultural activities,” adding that eviction efforts remained ineffective despite notices. “The lack of proper survey and demarcation has led to the encroachment,” the report said.
The audit noted that absence of a comprehensive conservation and management plan has resulted in sustained degradation of the ecologically significant wetland. “The lake is facing deterioration due to pollution, encroachment and lack of scientific planning,” it said, warning that its “pristine glory” faces the risk of extinction.
Land-use analysis between 2014 and 2020 showed a steady decline in the lake’s health. “The open water area decreased by seven per cent, while scrub area increased by 1,157 per cent, siltation by 104 per cent, river area by 103 per cent, built-up area by 102 per cent and aquatic vegetation by 42 per cent,” the report said, attributing the changes to anthropogenic pressures and untreated sewage inflows.
The CAG flagged failure to identify pollution sources and absence of measures such as dredging and silt control. It also pointed to the impact of a flood spill channel constructed through the lake area, which contributed to shrinking open water.
Satellite imagery between 2005 and 2022 showed a sharp rise in built-up areas in catchments such as Haji Bagh, Soibug and HMT (Zainakot), many lacking sewage treatment facilities. “The lake continues to receive inflows from these areas, aggravating pollution levels,” the report said.
Flood management infrastructure was also found inadequate. The Padshahi Bagh spill channel, designed for 17,000 cusecs, now carries only about 6,000 cusecs due to siltation and debris. Although ₹46.29 crore was spent between 2018 and 2022 on related works, “key components such as hydraulic gates, silt retention basins and sewage treatment plants were not executed,” the audit said.
The report further noted that conservation activities lacked scientific backing. “Expenditure on de-weeding and dredging lacked scientific basis, with no vegetation mapping, bathymetric surveys or impact assessments conducted,” it said.
The Wildlife Protection Department, in its response, said a wetland policy is under consideration and efforts are underway to remove unwanted vegetation and retrieve encroached areas.
Citing research inputs, the audit also pointed to declining dissolved oxygen levels, disappearance of native aquatic species and spread of invasive plants.
The CAG recommended urgent identification and treatment of pollution sources, scientific dredging to restore open water, and a comprehensive survey and demarcation to reclaim encroached land. It also called for a holistic conservation plan addressing hydrology, biodiversity and pollution.
Hokersar Lake, located across Srinagar and Budgam districts and fed by the Doodhganga stream and Sukhnag Nallah, was notified in 1945 and later declared a Conservation Reserve under the Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1978.