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Warming climate, pollution and unplanned growth push Kashmir’s lakes toward disappearance
Pollution, climate-driven heat and unplanned development have left 315 of the region’s 697 natural lakes disappeared or shrunk, an Indian government report found.
- An Indian government report last year found that 315 of the region's 697 natural lakes have disappeared since 1967, while 203 have shrunk. Climate change, pollution, and development threaten the long-term existence of lakes in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
- Shifting, unpredictable weather patterns mean lakes face sudden inflows followed by prolonged stress during drier months, said Sher Muhammad, a glaciologist with the Kathmandu-headquartered International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. Glacier melt reduces natural water storage over time.
- Fishermen at Wular Lake report shrinking incomes as catches plummet. Abdul Rasheed, a 45-year-old fisherman, said his daily income fell from around 1,000 rupees to just 100 to 200 rupees for an entire night of fishing.
- Sewage from unconnected houses remains a major pollution contributor, said Muzamil Ahmad Rafiqui, superintending engineer for Kashmir's Lake Conservation and Management Authority. Despite more than 75% of Srinagar's population connected to treatment systems, workers struggle to clear polluted waters.
- Erratic weather has hit hydropower-generating capacity, tourism, and highly valued apple and saffron farms across the region, warned Irfan Rashid, an environmental scientist at the Srinagar-based University of Kashmir. Climate change impacts every economic sector in recent years.
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Associated Press News+19 Reposted by 19 other sources
Warming climate, pollution and unplanned growth push Kashmir’s lakes toward disappearance
Climate-exacerbated heat increases and unpredictable rainfall combined with unplanned urban growth have resulted in nearly half the lakes in the mountainous, India-controlled Jammu and Kashmir region disappearing or becoming highly polluted in the last six decades.
·New York, United States
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Each morning, long and narrow wooden boats called shikaras sail elegantly along the extensive Dal Lake in an almost idyllic scene framed by the mountains of the Himalayan mountain range.
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources21
Leaning Left6Leaning Right4Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution40% Left
Bias Distribution
- 40% of the sources lean Left
40% Left
L 40%
C 33%
R 27%
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