CAG Audit Finds 315 Jammu and Kashmir Lakes Have Vanished Since 1967

A Comptroller and Auditor General audit has found that 315 of the 697 lakes recorded in Jammu and Kashmir in 1967 have disappeared, while a further 203 have shrunk substantially, erasing thousands of hectares of water spread. The audit covering 2017-18 to 2021-22 finds that conservation efforts have been limited to only six lakes, leaving the vast majority of water bodies unprotected.

The CAG audit of lake management in Jammu and Kashmir reveals a deepening ecological crisis in which nearly half of all water bodies documented six decades ago have vanished entirely. Of the 697 lakes recorded in 1967, 315 are no longer traceable, and 203 others have experienced significant area reduction. The audit attributes these losses to encroachment, unchecked urbanisation, poor drainage planning and weak institutional coordination among agencies responsible for lake protection.

The ecological and socioeconomic consequences of lake loss are significant. Lakes in Jammu and Kashmir provide freshwater, support fisheries, regulate local microclimates and serve as critical wetland habitats for migratory birds. The disappearance of hundreds of water bodies has erased biodiversity-rich ecosystems and reduced the region's natural capacity to manage floods and sustain groundwater levels. Tourism-dependent livelihoods around iconic water bodies like Dal Lake are also indirectly affected by the broader degradation trend.

The CAG audit recommends strengthened institutional mechanisms, dedicated conservation budgets and an updated inventory of surviving water bodies. It calls for extending regulatory protection beyond the current six lakes to cover all water bodies identified as viable for restoration. The audit is expected to prompt scrutiny in Parliament and may lead to court-directed interventions through the NGT, which has previously taken cognisance of lake degradation cases in the region.

Key figure — 315 lakes vanished out of 697 recorded in 1967 in Jammu and Kashmir