Relevance: GS III (Environment & Disaster Management) & GS II (Governance) | Source: The Hindu/ CAG Reports

1. The Big News: The Watchdog’s Warning

Recently, the CAG released an alarming report on the lakes of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

• The Shocking Data: A massive 74% of the lakes in the region have either completely vanished or severely shrunk. Out of 697 water bodies, 315 are entirely dead.
• The Human Tragedy: Lakes naturally act as “sponges” that absorb extra rainwater. The CAG clearly stated that because J&K destroyed these natural sponges, rainwater had nowhere to go, which directly caused the catastrophic September 2014 Kashmir floods.

Note: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG):  established under Art 148, is India’s supreme official watchdog that checks if the government is doing its job and using public resources properly.

2. Why are the lakes dying?

The report exposed a complete failure by the government departments:

• No Basic Counting: The local Environment Department did not even conduct a basic survey to check the health of these 697 lakes.
• VIP Lakes Only: Out of nearly 700 lakes, the government only cares for six famous ones (like Dal and Wular). The rest are ignored.
• The Concrete Jungle: Illegal buildings, hotels, and farms have completely swallowed the dry lake beds.
• The Mountain Problem: Even lakes situated high up in the mountains (where humans do not live) are dying because mud and rocks are naturally filling them up (siltation), and no one is cleaning them.

3. A Warning for All of India

This is not just Kashmir’s problem. Whenever we fill up lakes with mud and build houses on them, our cities drown.

• Bengaluru: The city now regularly floods because its beautiful, interconnected lakes are choked with illegal buildings and toxic sewage.
• Chennai: The horrific 2015 Chennai floods happened mainly because the city built roads and IT parks directly over the Pallikaranai marshland.
• Assam: Deepor Beel (a highly important wetland) is shrinking fast because the city is dumping garbage right next to it.

4. How do we save them?

• Satellite Mapping: State governments must use ISRO satellites to accurately draw the boundaries of all lakes and lock them digitally so builders cannot steal the land.
• Strict “No-Building” Zones: Create strict borders around lakes where no one is ever allowed to build houses.
• Stop the Dirty Water: Ensure that no untreated city sewage or factory chemicals are ever dumped into the lakes.

UPSC Value Box

Conclusion: We must stop looking at lakes and wetlands as empty plots of land waiting to be sold. Saving them is the only way to save our cities from drowning in the next heavy monsoon.

With reference to the conservation of lakes in Jammu & Kashmir and wetland ecosystems, consider the following statements:

1. Wular, Hokersar, and Surinsar-Mansar lakes in Jammu & Kashmir are recognized as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
2. According to recent Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports, high-altitude lakes in the region remain ecologically immune to shrinkage due to the strict absence of human settlements.
3. The destruction and encroachment of natural lake systems in the Kashmir valley were identified as major exacerbating factors for the devastating 2014 floods.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only (c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: (b)