Once pristine AANCHAR LAKE in last throes

Failure of successive regimes to take measures for conservation of Aanchar lake here has pushed the water body on the verge of extinction.

Till few decades ago, Aanchar possessed crystal clear waters and hosted rich aquatic life. The lake plays an important part in maintaining hydrological system of Srinagar. Ironically, in absence of conservation measures and regulation, the lake has been extensively encroached upon.

Spot visit reveled that a major chunk of the water body has been filled up by unscrupulous persons from Eidgah to Soura. At many places, particularly near the shrine of Jenab Sahib in Soura, the lake is hardly visible as numerous concrete structures and hutments have come up on its banks.

“Aanchar is gasping for breath,” said Ghulam Nabi, 45, a local pointing toward a large stretch of marsh. Numerous springs which used to infuse fresh water into the lake have also been choked. “The lake and its springs were blessed with pristine waters and had medicinal properties. People from far off places used to come here and drink its waters. Ironically, official apathy and public greed has destroyed the lake,” he said.

 Anchar receives major lease of its waters from Dal lake through Nallah Amir Khan via Gilsar and Khushalsar. It is also fed by a network of channels from Sindh river from western shore and finally merges with Jhelum river at Sangam. The lake’s catchment area is approximately 66 sq kms which is mostly used for raising various kinds of vegetation including agricultural fields, apple orchards and willow plantation.

According to the then settlement commissioner of Kashmir, Sir Walter Lawrence, the area of the lake in 1893-1894 was 19.54 sq kms. Due to urbanization, its squeezed to 12.35 sq.km in 1965.

“However, due to unplanned urbanization, siltation and pollution, Aanchar has presently shrunk to less than seven sq. Kms,” said Prof. Shakil A Romshoo, Head, Dept. of Earth Sciences, KU.

Noted environmentalist, Dr Muhammad Rashid-ud-din Kundangar who has conducted extensive studies on Aanchar also corroborated its deterioration. “My study reveals that due to encroachments, the lake has shrunk to 6.8 sq kms of which 3.6 sq.kms is marsh,” he said.

He said due to unabated pollution, water quality of the lake has also deteriorated. “Influx of untreated sewage from catchments areas has severely affected the lake fragile eco-system. The problem is compounded by unabated use of pesticides and weedicides in the paddy fields and orchards in the catchment. Most of the zones near habitations have become dumping sites of all allochanthus and non-allochanthus materials which has resulted in chocking of the body and hampered the flow of waters,” he said.

A large expanse of Aanchar behind the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura has been extensively encroached upon. In absence of monitoring, the unscrupulous persons have even encroached around 400 kanals of watery land of SKIMS and are openly using it for agricultural purposes and rearing domestic animals. Government had reserved the watery land for starting Medical Tourism in houseboats in Aanchar Lake. The ambitious project was envisioned by then Chief Minister, Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, after the construction of SKIMS in mid ‘70s. “However the project could not take off mainly due to vote bank politics. We have many times approached the concerned officials to provide us assistance and police protection to retrieve the land, ironically, we did not receive any support,” said a senior official of SKIMS Soura wishing anonymity.

Experts said siltation is also posing threat to the lake.  “Heavy siltation at the rate of 40 to 90m per 100 SqKm per year has seriously affected the Anchar lake particularly on the western side. The lake use and land cover 66  SqKm of direct catchment has been identified as prone to high erosion,” they said.

Dr Kundangar said extensive cultivation of Salix (willow) in the lake area has led to reduction of open water surface at an alarming rate. He said the rate of encroachment in the Anchar Lake has been estimated 0.184 sq kms per year. “It is ironical that the government has totally neglected conservation of Anchar which forms important part of Kashmir’s fragile eco-system. Extinction of Anchar would have serious ecological consequences,” Dr Kundangar said.

Nazir Ahmad, a lake dweller said that due to pollution, Nadru production has been reduced in Aanchar. Experts corroborated the fact. “Algal blooms, Azolla and coliform provide death knell to the lake’s survival. Decrease in nadru, fish and chestnuts production indicates the lake is on the verge of extinction,” Dr Kundangar said.

The Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) entrusted with conservation of Dal Lake, in 2013 submitted an action plan to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India for restoration of Anchar and its adjoining lakes. The restoration plan submitted under the National Lake Conservation Programme envisages arresting raw sewage by establishing a sewage network, improvement in hydrology, regulation of flows, dredging and beautification of peripheries of the lake. “The project has not been approved yet,” said a senior official of LAWDA.