Report 4 of 2025: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Conservation and Management of Lakes in Jammu and Kashmir for the period ended March 2022

What did the audit examine?

The audit examined the conservation and management of lakes in Jammu and Kashmir by the government for the period ended March 2022, focusing on six specific lakes: Dal, Wular, Hokersar, Manasbal, Surinsar, and Mansar.

Who / what it concerns

Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir

What the auditor found

• No Centralised Development and Regulatory Authority for lakes
• No specific legal statute/Act for conservation and management of lakes
• Decrease in open water area and increase in other land uses (built-up, agriculture, etc.) for 63 test-checked lakes
• Underutilisation of funds for lake conservation
• Lack of cross-sectoral institutional convergence
• Fragmented mandate across five departments (Forest, Revenue, Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, Tourism)

Points worth noting

• 7 lakes were not visible or had almost dried up
• Lakes like Khushal Sar and Anchar showed degradation/shrinkage
• Funds allocated for conservation were underutilised