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Kashmir’s wetlands gasp for breath!

Let’s join hands to protect wetlands for a secure future
11:51 PM Feb 02, 2025 IST | ARIF SHAFI WANI
kashmir’s wetlands gasp for breath
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As a slew of functions mark the celebration of the World Wetlands Day, wetlands in Kashmir are literally gasping for breath! There is nothing to celebrate as the valley is gradually losing wetlands to encroachments, siltation and pollution.

This year’s theme for the World Environment Day is ‘Protecting wetlands for our common future’, however, the pace of deterioration of wetlands is far more than feeble conservation measures. We hardly realise the immense ecological importance of wetlands. We treat wetlands as wastelands! It is a stark reality that wetlands in Kashmir are facing onslaught due to official apathy and societal greed. Wetlands are vanishing fast and turning into a concrete jungle in the shape of colonies.

It is ironic that despite legislation, destruction of wetlands is being allowed. We must realise the importance of wetlands for our survival; how wetlands act as a buffer for floods, clean the polluted water, and are considered as nature’s kidneys. We need to know that the flat topography of river Jhelum, spanning 175 sq km from south to north Kashmir, makes Srinagar vulnerable to flooding. It is the wetlands on the left and right of the river which act as reservoirs of floodwaters. But instead of preserving and protecting wetlands, these nature’s asset have been filled and buried!

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Most of the wetlands in Kashmir have lost their carrying capacity mainly due to conversion into agriculture land or concrete landscape in the last over five decades. The total area of the major wetlands in the Jhelum basin with an area greater than 25 hectares have decreased from 288.96 sq km in 1972 to 266.45 sq km. 20 wetlands have been lost to urban colonies during last five decades, particularly in the south of Srinagar.

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385 hectares of land in 8 wetlands—Hokersar (191.41 hectares), Mirgund (89.74 hectares) Hygam (95.85 hectares) Shallabugh (3.81 hectares) Chattalum 4.24 hectares) Freskoori (0.65 hectares) have been encroached respectively. This information has been provided by Wildlife Warden Wetlands Division Kashmir in response to RTI by noted environmental and social activist MM Shuja.

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In response to another question, the Wildlife Warden stated that the department received funds under various heads for wetlands conservation since 2019, however, funds worth crores of rupees have not been utilised. In 2019-20, Rs 439.98 lakhs were received while Rs 281.38 were not utilised. Similarly, 155.22 lakhs, 127.27 lakhs, 384.94 lakhs and 472.81 lakhs were received in 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 out of which 28.64 lakhs, 87.96 lakhs, 169.95 lakhs and 161.33 lakhs respectively were not utilised. It is clear that funding has never been a problem especially for wetland conservation, however, proper execution of conservation projects has been a problem.

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Deterioration of wetlands has severely affected flora and fauna and habitation of migratory birds. J&K ranks fourth to have five Ramsar sites out of 75 sites in the country. Wullar, Hokersar and Surinsar-Mansar were already declared as Ramsar sites while Hygam and Shallbugh were added to the prestigious list in June last year.

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Despite being a Ramsar site no tangible measure has been taken to restore Wular and its associated wetlands in north Kashmir; Wular comprise an important habitat for migratory water birds within Central Asian Flyway. Considered to be Asia’s largest freshwater lake also, Wular is fast losing its grandeur to extensive pollution, siltation and encroachments. The wetland has been extensively encroached upon by massive plantations and extension of agricultural fields.

Hygam, also a Ramsar Site, has also been encroached upon and converted into land for paddy cultivation over the last two decades. The wetland receives lakhs of migratory and resident bird species in winter and also supports mammals, amphibians, and fish. Spread on 802 hectares equivalent to 1,28,420 kanals, Hygam has been disgustingly facing the onslaught of destruction by way of encroachments. Bala Nalla flowing from Baba Reshi is one of the main sources of siltation and nutrients of Hygam.

Another Ramsar site, Hokersar wetland is also battling for survival due to unabated encroachments and siltation. Once known as Queen of Wetlands for its immense ecological value, studies reveal that Hokersar has shrunk from 18.13 sq. Km in 1969 to 13.42 sq km, a loss of almost 5.2 Sq. Km during the last forty years. Hokersar’s water quality too has extensively deteriorated.

Kashmir-based The Environmental Policy Group (EPG) has been fighting a legal battle for conservation of wetlands. Experts of EPG have been vocal to raise the red flag on deterioration of wetlands including Hokersar, Haigam, Narkara, Mirgund and Shallabugh. On the petition of environmental activist, Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) passed several orders for conservation of wetlands in Kashmir.

In 2017 Supreme Court of India referred the important Public Interest Litigation to the High Court of J&K and Ladakh for monitoring the process of Eco-Restoration, as appointed advocate Nadeem Qadri as Amicus Curiae. In August last year, on the direction of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh, Qadri visited various wetlands including Ramsar sites and suggested measures for conservation, protection and management of the wetlands.

In December last year, the Supreme Court mandated state and union territory governments to complete the demarcation and ground-truthing of wetlands within three months, building upon its previous 2017 conservation directives. Besides court directions, there is a need for public participation in conservation of wetlands. Government too must develop a comprehensive plan for restoration of wetlands. We have to own the wetlands and work for their conservation. We have to prevent the wetlands from turning into waste lands!

 

Author is Executive Editor, 

Greater Kashmir