Jammu Kashmir Has 1,810 Water Bodies: Five Ramsar Sites, Conservation Push Intensifies | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday said that 1,810 water bodies have been identified across the Union Territory, as efforts to strengthen conservation and ecological management of wetlands continue.

The information was provided in response to a starred Assembly question raised by Ali Mohammad Sagar.

According to the government, the total includes 554 water bodies with an area greater than one hectare and 1,256 smaller water bodies. These include major lakes such as Dal Lake, Wular Lake, Anchar Lake, Khushal Sar and Hokersar Wetland.

The government said several measures are being undertaken to protect these water bodies from pollution and environmental degradation. It noted that five wetlands in Jammu and Kashmir have been designated as Ramsar Sites of international importance.

Key conservation measures include de-weeding of wetlands, strengthening and construction of embankments, restoration of hydrological channels, installation of trash barriers, and regular clearance of excessive aquatic vegetation. Infrastructure for patrolling has also been developed to prevent encroachments and illegal activities.

Focusing on Wular Lake, the government said the Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA) has taken multiple steps to improve its ecological health. These include closure of dumping sites near the lake, implementation of solid waste management initiatives, awareness campaigns, boundary demarcation, dredging, willow removal and continuous water quality monitoring.

The Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing wing has also initiated a detailed survey and mapping of wetlands larger than one hectare using remote sensing technology, followed by ground verification and boundary demarcation in coordination with the Revenue, Wildlife and Forest departments.

As part of this exercise, 170 GIS-based wetland boundaries have been corrected and uploaded in Keyhole Markup Language (KML) format on the National Wetland Portal to enhance transparency and legal protection.

The government further said that documentation for six priority wetlands—including Ahansar-Waskursar Wetland Complex, Sanasar Lake, Khushalsar-Gilsar Complex, Anchar-Rakh-i-Kujar Complex, Manasbal Lake and Narkara—has been prepared. Of these, four have been submitted to the Jammu and Kashmir Wetland Authority for notification, while two are under technical examination.

Additional measures to prevent degradation include soil and moisture conservation works to reduce erosion, afforestation of degraded catchments, construction of check dams and silt retention structures, and promotion of sustainable land use practices with community participation.

On funding, the government said that Rs 146.47 crore has been sanctioned under the UT Capex budget and Rs 9 crore under the centrally sponsored National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA) for conservation and management of Wular Lake over the past five years. Additionally, Rs 10.73 crore has been spent on soil and water conservation works under the UT Capex.

The reply was issued by the Minister in charge of the Forest, Ecology and Environment Department.