Audit Reports

Jammu and Kashmir UT (31-Oct-2019 Onwards)

Overview

Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Conservation and Management of Lakes in Jammu and Kashmir for the period ended March 2022

This Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India on Conservation and Management of Lakes for the period ended March 2022 has been prepared for submission to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir under Section 72 of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019 for laying in the Legislative Assembly.

This Report contains six chapters.

Chapter I includes introduction, organisational setup, audit objectives, audit criteria and audit scope, sample and methodology.

Chapter II gives an overview of statutory and regulatory arrangements for Conservation and Management of Lakes, changes in areas of Lakes and land use

changes in Lakes.

Chapter III gives an overview of National and State/ UT programmes and Lake generic management activities for Conservation and Management of Lakes.

Chapter IV, V and VI contain the details of the implementation of Conservation and Management programmes/ plans undertaken and highlight the inadequacies in Conservation and Management in respect of Dal Lake, Wular Lake, Hokersar Lake, Mansar Lake, Surinsar Lake and Manasbal Lake.

The cases mentioned in the Report are among those which came to notice in the course of test audit covering the period from 2017-18 to 2021-22. Observations highlighted in the Performance Audit of Dal Lake included in the CAG’s Audit Report 2006 and 2011 were also reviewed. Instances relating to the period subsequent to March 2022 have also been included, wherever necessary.

The audit has been conducted in conformity with the Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

Chapter -1 Overview, Introduction, Performance Audit of Conservation and Management of Lakes in J&K, Organisational Setup, Audit Objectives, Audit Criteria, Audit Scope, Sample and Methodology.

Chapter-II Introduction, Spatial -temporal changes in the area of Lakes in Kashmir and Jammu Divisions of J&K, Land use changes, Absence of legal statute/ Act and Centralised Development and Regulatory Authority for Conservation and Management of Lakes, Lack of institutional arrangements for discharge of environmental functions related to Lakes,

Chapter-III Conservation Programmes for Lakes, Generic activities for Lake management, Lack of emphasis on Conservation and Management of Lakes by the GoJ&K.

Chapter-IV Introduction, Organisational Setup, Land use changes within Dal Lake and its catchment, Analysis of remote sensing data of Ecology, Environment & Remote Sensing Department (EE&RSD) to ascertain Land use changes in Lake, Analysis of Google Earth Pro images to ascertain Spatio-temporal changes in the Lake and its catchments, Planning, Non-preparation of DPR for left out activities in the initially approved DPR, Project Management Consultant, Vision Document, Assessment of damages due to floods, Financial Management, Programme implementation, Sewage Treatment Plants, Non-upgradation of STPs and lack of sewer networking/ treatment facilities, Sewage disposal facilities of households on either side of backwater channels, Sewer networking of Khona Khan area and its connectivity to the STP, Disposal of solid waste, extracted weed and sludge, Relocation of House Boats and Hotels from Dal Lake, Augmentation of water budget of the Lake through Padshahi Canal, Restoration and Development works, Increase in area of floating gardens/ land masses, Catchment Management Works, Installation of CCTV Surveillance, Relocation and Rehabilitation of Dal-dwellers, Other programme activities, Research studies in Catchment Area, Nutrient load monitoring, Hydrology and water balance studies, Water budget of the Lake, Flushing of the Lake, Biodiversity in the Lake Ecosystem, Seed bank inventory, Assessment of life expectancy of Lake, Conservation and Management Programme for interconnected water bodies, Public Awareness, Manpower Management, Accounting Deficiencies, Monitoring Mechanism, Impact Assessment, Research carried out by scholars of various universities.

Chapter-V Introduction, Organisational Setup, Establishment of Wular Conservation and Management Authority, Land use changes within the Lake and its catchment, Analysis of Google Earth Pro images to ascertain Spatio-temporal changes in Lake and its catchments, Decrease in the water area and water holding capacity of the Lake, Planning, Comprehensive Management Action Plan, Missed funding opportunities for Conservation and Management of

Wular Lake, Fund management, Underutilisation of funds, Programme implementation, Dropping of programme activities and cost reduction in programme activities of CMAP under 13th Finance Commission, Action Plan for implementation of Lake Management activities, Programme implementation approved under 13th FC and CAPEX Action Plan, Survey and Demarcation, Catchment Conservation, Water Management, Water Quality Improvement Institutional Development, Capacity Building, Awareness Generation and Monitoring/ Evaluation, Administrative, operational and maintenance expenses, Capacity building and awareness generation, Monitoring and evaluation of impact of Lake conservation programme, Environmental Impact Assessment of CMAP, Internal control, Impact Assessment, Research activities.

Chapter-VI Conservation and Management of Hokersar, Mansar, Surinsar and Manasbal Lakes, Conservation and Management of Hokersar Lake, Organisational setup, Land use changes within Lake and its catchment, Planning, Creation of flood spill channel, Underutilisation of funds for management of Lake, Programme Implementation, Survey and Demarcation, De-weeding, De-silting and Dredging of Lake, Discharge of untreated effluents into the Lake, Public Awareness, Encroachment of Lake, Results of research carried out by scholars of universities and health of Lake, Conclusion, Recommendations, Conservation and Management of Surinsar and Mansar Lakes, Organisational Setup, Land use changes in Surinsar and Mansar Lakes and their catchments, Planning, Mandate of the WLW-Kathua and SMDA, Preparation of Management Plans for Lake, State Level Monitoring Committee, Underutilisation of funds for management of Lakes, Programme implementation, Demarcation, De-Weeding, Sewage treatment system and disposal of waste, Construction works executed in contravention of wetland rules, Measures for conservation of turtles, Other issues, Irregular Lifting of water, Water quality of the Lakes, Dwindling local fish species, Research carried out by scholars of universities, Conclusion, Recommendations, Conservation and Management of Manasbal Lake, Organisational Setup, Land use changes within the Lake and its catchment, Planning, Mandate of the WMDA, Oversight by the Board of Directors, Funding for management of Lake, Lake Management, Demarcation, De-weeding of Lake, Dredging of Lake, Treatment and disposal of waste/ sludge, Encroachment of Lake, Research carried out by scholars of various universities, Joint Inspection of catchment area of Manasbal Lake, Afforestation of catchment area, Solid Waste Management/ Sewer networking system in the catchment area, Non-availability of infrastructure to prevent pollutants from entering the Lake, Springs, Constructions in the catchment area of Lake without building permission, Conclusion,

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• Report 4 of 2025: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Conservation and Management of Lakes in Jammu and Kashmir for the period ended March 2022
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