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• 29 Mar 2026

Vanishing Wetlands in Kashmir

Despite the Ramsar status of Hokersar and Wular, legal protection has not translated into effective ground level governance

TAJAMUL SHEIKH   Kashmir’s wetlands—once described as the “kidneys” of the Valley—are shrinking at an alarming pace. These ecosystems regulate floods, recharge groundwater, support rich biodiversity along the Central Asian Flyway, and sustain thousands of fishing and farming households. Yet, in just a few decades, they have been choked by encroachment, pollution and policy neglect.   Official data show the scale of the crisis. Jammu & Kashmir’s mapped wetland area fell from about 3.91 lakh hectares in 2011 to 1.64 lakh hectares in 2021—a loss of nearly 57% in just ten years. This regional collapse is mirrored in the fate of individual lakes and marshes across the Valley.   Hokersar, outside Srinagar, is one of the most striking examples. Notified as a Ramsar site in 2005 with an area of about 1,365 hectares, it is a crucial wintering ground for migratory birds. Remotesensing studies suggest its total wetland area has fallen from roughly 18.13 sq km in 1969 to about 13.42 sq km today, a loss of nearly onethird in half a century.   Even more worrying, the openwater area has crashed from around 210 hectares to only about 45 hectares in the

same period, indicating aggressive infilling and conversion to agriculture. In recent winters, bird counts here have dropped dramatically—from about 4.8 lakh waterbirds in 2020 to roughly 65,000 in 2021—signalling rapid habitat degradation.   Wular Lake, once among South Asia’s largest freshwater lakes, tells a similar story. Historical records place its spread at around 213 sq km in the early 20th century, including surrounding marshes. Today, multiple studies estimate this has shrunk to roughly 127 sq km or less, meaning a loss of about 30–40% of its area.   Satellitebased analysis further shows that Wular’s openwater surface alone declined by around onequarter between 2008 and 2019. Large stretches of the lake bed have been converted into willow plantations and paddy fields, while silt from a degraded catchment and untreated waste have turned parts of the lake into shallow, weedinfested swamps.   Dal Lake, the most visible symbol of Kashmir, has also been steadily squeezed by unplanned urbanisation. Early 20thcentury surveys put its area at around 22 sq km. Independent technical assessments now suggest that openwater extent has fallen to nearly 10 sq km due to encroachment and pollution, while more

than 70% of Srinagar’s sewage reportedly flows untreated into the lake, fuelling eutrophication and dense weed growth.     The causes of this vanishing act are interconnected: expansion of housing colonies and roads on wetland fringes, deliberate drainage to create agricultural land, unregulated tourism infrastructure, and the dumping of solid waste and sewage directly into water bodies. Catchment deforestation accelerates siltation, gradually converting open lakes into shallow marsh and, eventually, dry land.   These losses have direct consequences for people. Wetlands like Wular still contribute a major share of Kashmir’s inland fish production, while floodplains such as Hokersar historically buffered Srinagar from Jhelum floods. As these natural sponges shrink, flood risks grow, and livelihoods based on fishing, fodder and traditional agriculture become more precarious.   Despite the Ramsar status of Hokersar and Wular, legal protection has not translated into effective groundlevel governance. Reversing the trend of vanishing wetlands in Kashmir will require strict enforcement against encroachment, scientific catchment treatment, sewage treatment for Srinagar and, crucially, the participation of civil society who depend on these ecosystems for their survival.   (The Author is a research scholar and Environmental Activist working for an International NGO)