Encroachment of wetlands in Valley

Since the fact remains that Srinagar city, the Sumer capital and most of the towns in Kashmir valley have witnessed massive urbanization during last two decades, consequently land management has become a complex phenomenon in Kashmir valley. With hardly any regulation of urban growth, the inhabitants and ecology of the area – already under severe threat from environmental hazards, siltation and encroachments – are exposed to more vulnerable dangers. Experts have already warned the government that if rapid urbanization is allowed to continue unchecked, Kashmir’s precious wetlands might vanish within next few years. Consequently this would endanger millions of animals and migratory birds that flock to Kashmir’s wetlands every year. It has been experienced in recent years that the number of winged visitors has steadily declined during last few years. Encroachment of the wetlands and their siltation by all standards of understandabilities is the major cause of decline in the number of migratory birds. Fact of the matter is that the Hokersar wetland, situated 16 kilometres north of Srinagar, has shrunk to 4.5 square kilometres from its original area of 13.75 square kilometres. Similarly the Haigam wetland, further north, has been reduced to almost half its original size. Many of the 500 wetlands .Even the helmsmen in the Environment and Remote Sensing department have admitted that the government has done very little to save the precious wetlands in Kashmir. The un-planned and un-regulated growth, industrialization and urbanization across Kashmir have taken a heavy toll on our natural resources, like forests, lakes, rivers, streams and the ecosystems supported by these assets. Consequently the impact is alarming. Since the pace of eco-restoration and rehabilitation of affected habitats is disproportionate to the rate of degradation of our environment, huge resources are needed to restore the lost glory of our precious but fragile eco-systems?
The wetlands in Kashmir have been threatened either by explosive spread of obnoxious weed growth, or by increasing pollution from indiscriminate discharge of domestic effluents and run-off from agricultural fields. Dal Lake and Nagin Lake have been squeezed from around 36 square kilometers to around 12.5 square kilometres due to sewage, soil erosion, agricultural run-off and deforestation. The construction of increasing numbers of floating gardens and houses in and around the lake has added to pressures. All of this has speeded up the process of eutrophication in lakes, threatening the very existence of these water bodies and aquatic life. In the absence of appropriate drainage and sewerage systems, Srinagar city’s effluents are directly or indirectly drained into various water bodies. The challenge of waste disposal has assumed epic proportions due to rapid population growth and unauthorized settlements that have built up in low-lying areas of Srinagar. This has had a severe impact on water quality. Several species of fish unique to the waters of Kashmir are in danger of extinction due to high levels of pollution. Yet another worrisome consequence of rapid urban expansion is the growing incidence of timber smuggling, fuelled by the construction boom. In the absence of a coherent forestry policy or sufficient regulation, this is causing widespread destruction in the forests of Kashmir. Diversion of forest land to make way for development projects is also nibbling away at precious forest resources. . The construction boom is not only feeding on forest wealth, but also consuming thousands of hectares of agricultural land. .The concept of horizontal expansion, prevalent in Srinagar for decades, is proving quite disastrous, since, unlike vertical expansion, it consumes additional space and construction material including timber. The blame by all standards of understandabilities lies on concerned government departments for the environmental mess and particularly the encroachment of wetlands in Kashmir.