Non-demarcation, absence of Master plan expose Manasbal lake to encroachments

Jammu, May 4: Absence of Master plan, non-demarcation of 7 km of lake and the Wular Manasbal Development Authority (WMDA) not having a specific legal framework and clear-cut responsibility for its conservation and management exposed the Manasbal lake to encroachments.

These critical observations delineating the sorry state of affairs of the helmsmen towards the pristine water bodies of the Union Territory were made by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in its report on the “Conservation and management of lakes in Jammu and Kashmir” for the period ended March 2022.

Audit report found that no comprehensive plan was in place for the conservation and management of Manasbal lake. WMDA did not have a specific legal framework and clear-cut responsibility for conservation and management of the lake.

“Lake management plans were formulated, financed and implemented through annual plans in which only marginal lake related activities such as sanitation of the area, de-weeding and dredging of the lake were included. Non-demarcation of seven km of length of the lake had exposed it (lake) to encroachments,” it pointed out.

The WMDA, as per audit report, had not identified sources of sewage entering the lake, which were mainly responsible for pollution in it (lake).

Due to non-finalisation of the Master plan of the area, unrestricted development and construction work was going on around the lake and there were 40 cases of encroachment and unauthorised construction works, it mentioned.

INCREASE IN OPEN WATER AREA?

Interestingly, while pointing out grey areas in the conservation and management of the lake, the audit has referred to a positive development also yet with scepticism.

It noticed that even though conservation and management of the lake had suffered from inadequacies, there was positive change in the open water area of the lake which showed an increasing trend i.e., from 185.29 hectares in 2014 to 216.81 hectares in 2020.

“However, causes of increase in water area, whether due to siltation, choking up of lake outlets, melting of glaciers or heavy rainfall in the areas of these lakes, were not monitored or analysed by WMDA. In absence of monitoring of these parameters by WMDA, the audit could also not ascertain whether increase in the surface area of lakes had actually led to increase in water volume of the lake or not,” the CAG report observed.

FRESH WATER MANASBAL DEEPEST LAKE IN KASHMIR

Manasbal, a fresh-water lake, is located in district Ganderbal and is the deepest lake in Kashmir. The major source of water of the lake is Lar Irrigation Khul and 1,200 springs existing in and around the lake. Rainfall and melting snow in the catchment area of the lake also form a source of water for the lake.

It has an outlet from where water leaves the lake and enters the river Jhelum. It (lake) is looked after by the Wular Manasbal Development Authority (WMDA) which was created under Development Act, 1970.

The administrative control of WMDA vests with the Commissioner Secretary of the J&K Tourism Department.

After creation of WMDA in January 2006, 1,192 kanals and six marlas of land was transferred to it by the Tourism department.

ENCROACHED LAKE FRINGES

Audit observed that WMDA did not have details of land which formed part of the lake and its fringes and details as to whether it was government or proprietary land.

As per directions of the High Court, no construction can be raised within 500 square yards from the fringe of the lake and WMDA has to grant permission for any development or construction work carried out around it (lake) in accordance with the master plan of the area.

“Due to non-finalisation of the Master Plan of the area by WMDA, unrestricted development and construction work was going on around the lake. Records of WMDA showed that there were 40 cases of encroachment and unauthorised construction works. WMDA had not demarcated 500 square yards from the fringes of the lake area resulting in illegal construction of bathrooms, latrines, cowsheds and in dumping of cow dung on the fringes of the lake. Joint inspection of the area by audit along with WMDA officials also revealed that huge structures had come up close to the lake,” the audit revealed.

It pointed out that non-demarcation of seven km of length of the lake had exposed it to encroachments.

An expenditure of Rs 0.51 Cr between 2015-2022 was incurred on de-weeding during the months which were not specified months for de-weeding.

“WMDA had spent Rs 0.64 Cr (2006-22) on dredging without any bathymetric survey. It (WMDA) had not identified sources of sewage entering the lake, which were mainly responsible for pollution in the lake. For over 15 years, no outcome-based action had been taken to either shift the inhabitants of Kondabal village from the lake area or to get Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) constructed resulting in continuous discharge of untreated sewage into the lake,” the audit stated.

It stated that Manasbal lake was demarcated except for a length of seven km (from Kanabal to Naninara) which had not been demarcated due to land dispute and paucity of funds. Non-demarcation of a part of lake exposed it to encroachments

“Comprehensive plan for conservation and management of Manasbal lake was not framed but lake management plans were formulated, financed and implemented on an annual basis. Works included in the annual plans were mostly related to tourism development with only marginal lake-related activities such as sanitation of the area and de-weeding dredging of Lake. The annual plans did not address the root causes of degradation such as change in hydrological regimes, pollution or loss of biodiversity of the lake,” another critical finding in the audit revealed.

“WMDA did not have a specific legal framework and clear-cut responsibility for conservation and management of the Lake. No meeting was held by WMDA after the year 2017. As such, policy decisions including those in respect of preparation of master plan and finalisation of proposals for conservation and management of the lake, could not be taken,” the audit flagged.