Srinagar, Aug 21: The J&K Legislative Assembly’s Committee on Environment on Thursday reviewed measures for the conservation and management of major lakes and wetlands across Jammu and Kashmir, stressing the need for scientific planning, public participation and time-bound action.

The meeting, chaired by Committee Chairman Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami at the Assembly Complex, deliberated on the protection of Hokersar, Manasbal, Wular, Nigeen, Mansar and Surinsar lakes, besides other wetlands of the Union Territory.
Members of the Committee and senior officials from the J&K Pollution Control Committee, Wildlife Department, Lakes Conservation and Management Authority, Wular Conservation and Management Authority and other concerned agencies attended the meeting.
Tarigami underlined the ecological importance of wetlands, describing them as critical ecosystems that support biodiversity, regulate water systems and play an important role in flood mitigation. Expressing concern over pollution and increasing human interference, he called for coordinated and sustained efforts to protect these natural assets.
Reviewing the CAG audit paras, the Chairman stressed that conservation policies must be guided by reliable scientific data and meaningful community participation. He directed the concerned departments to submit time-bound Action Taken Reports detailing measures undertaken for the conservation of the six major lakes and other wetlands.
The Committee was informed that a comprehensive mapping exercise is underway using high-resolution satellite imagery to identify wetlands across J&K. While earlier surveys covered wetlands measuring more than 2.25 hectares and subsequently those between 1 and 2.25 hectares, the exercise has now been expanded to include wetlands measuring less than one hectare.
So far, approximately 1,700 wetlands have been identified across the Union Territory.
The meeting was also informed about the development of a dedicated State-level environmental portal containing layers related to forest boundaries and the Protected Area Network of the Wildlife Department.
Tarigami directed that the portal be made public-friendly and easily accessible to legislators, government departments and citizens. He said greater transparency in ecological data would help resolve boundary-related confusion and strengthen accountability.
He further called for the phased inclusion of information on vegetation, water bodies, rivers and other ecological features, enabling citizens and institutions to better understand and participate in conservation efforts.
The Committee emphasised that protecting J&K’s wetlands requires more than departmental interventions, with scientific monitoring, transparent information and community participation emerging as key pillars of long-term ecological management.