Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Aug 21
Jammu and Kashmir’s Environment Committee on Friday reviewed the conservation and management of major lakes and wetlands, calling for greater use of scientific data, community participation and public access to environmental information.
The meeting, chaired by Committee Chairman Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami at the Assembly Complex in Srinagar, focused on Hokersar, Mansabal, Wular, Nigeen, Mansar, and Surinsar lakes and other wetlands across Jammu and Kashmir.
Members of the committee and senior officials from the wildlife, wetlands and other concerned departments attended the meeting.
Tarigami said wetlands were critical to J&K’s ecology, biodiversity, and flood mitigation, but expressed concern over pollution and increasing human interference in water bodies.
He said protecting the region’s natural assets was a collective responsibility and called for conservation measures to be guided by scientific evidence and community involvement.
While reviewing observations from the CAG audit, Tarigami directed concerned departments to submit time-bound Action Taken Reports on conservation measures taken for the six major lakes and other wetlands.
Officials told the committee that a comprehensive exercise was underway to identify wetlands using high-resolution satellite imagery.
The mapping initially covered wetlands larger than 2.25 hectares, followed by those between 2.25 and 1 hectare.
The exercise has now been extended to wetlands smaller than 1 hectare.
About 1700 wetlands have so far been identified across Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
The department is also developing a dedicated state-level portal that will contain layers showing forest boundaries and the Wildlife Department’s protected-area network.
Tarigami directed officials to make the portal public-friendly and accessible to lawmakers, government departments and the public.
He said the portal should eventually include information on vegetation, water bodies, rivers and other ecological features in a phased manner.
Greater public access to environmental information, he said, would increase accountability and encourage community participation in wetland conservation.
