{"id":101086,"date":"2026-04-30T17:08:48","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T11:38:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=101086"},"modified":"2026-04-30T17:08:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T11:38:48","slug":"disappearing-lakes-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/disappearing-lakes-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Disappearing Lakes in India, Reasons, Major Threats, Significance"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lakes are among the most important freshwater ecosystems on Earth, yet they are rapidly shrinking, degrading, or disappearing due to increasing human interference in natural systems in the Anthropocene era.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>State of Lakes in India and the World<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the International Glossary of Hydrology, a lake is an inland body of water of considerable size, either natural or artificial.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to a recent <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/comptroller-and-auditor-generalcag\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Comptroller and Auditor General<\/strong><\/a> of India (CAG) report on Conservation and Management of Lakes, <\/span><b>518 out of 697 lakes recorded in 1967 in Jammu and Kashmir have either disappeared or significantly shrunk.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report further notes that <\/span><b>315 lakes have completely vanished up to March 2022 in the region.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This pattern is not confined to Jammu and Kashmir but reflects a <\/span><b>wider trend across India, where lakes are under increasing pressure from urbanisation, pollution, and encroachment,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> leading to their shrinkage and disappearance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Globally, around 117 million lakes cover nearly 4 per cent of the Earth\u2019s land surface and collectively hold about 90 per cent of the world\u2019s surface freshwater, making them critical for ecological balance and water security.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Ecological and Socio-Economic Significance of Lakes<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lakes are not merely scenic water bodies; they are life-supporting ecological systems. Their importance can be understood through six key functions:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Groundwater Recharge<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Lakes act as natural reservoirs that recharge groundwater systems. In India, where a large share of drinking water and irrigation depends on groundwater, lakes play a crucial role in sustaining long-term water security.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Flood Regulation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: During heavy rainfall, lakes function as natural buffers by absorbing excess runoff. This reduces surface flooding and protects downstream settlements from extreme hydrological events<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Biodiversity Hotspots<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Lakes provide critical habitats for aquatic plants, fish species, birds, and migratory fauna. For example, Chilika Lake in Odisha, the largest brackish water lagoon in the world, supports thousands of migratory birds every winter, making it a globally significant biodiversity site.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Socio-Economic Value<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Lakes directly support livelihoods through fisheries, irrigation, agriculture, and domestic water supply. They also contribute to local economies through tourism and recreation, especially in urban centres.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Cultural and Spiritual Significance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: In India, lakes often hold deep cultural importance. Dal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir and Pushkar Lake in Rajasthan are not only ecological assets but also sacred and cultural spaces integrated into local traditions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Fresh water supply<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Lakes provide 90% of the world&#8217;s surface fresh water &#8211; making their conservation directly tied to global water security.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thus, the degradation of lakes is not only an environmental issue but also a socio-economic and cultural concern.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Major Factors Responsible for Disappearing Lakes in India<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The disappearance of lakes is driven by multiple interconnected anthropogenic pressures:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Pollution and Waste Dumping<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Inadequate waste management has turned many lakes into dumping grounds for sewage and solid waste. Urban lakes such as Bellandur Lake in Bengaluru have become highly toxic due to industrial and domestic pollution.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Eutrophication<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Excessive nutrient loading from sewage and agricultural runoff leads to eutrophication. This triggers algal blooms and oxygen depletion, making aquatic life unsustainable. Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad and <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/dal-lake\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Dal Lake<\/strong><\/a> in Srinagar are notable examples.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Encroachment and Land-Use Change<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Rapid urbanisation and rising land values have led to large-scale encroachment of lake areas. Lakes are increasingly viewed as real estate rather than ecological infrastructure, as highlighted in the CAG report.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Illegal Mining Activities<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Unregulated sand and gravel mining from lakebeds disrupts hydrological balance and weakens lake ecosystems. Balsamand Lake in Rajasthan and Surajkund Lake in Haryana are affected by such practices.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Unregulated Tourism and Religious Practices<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Tourism pressure leads to waste generation and habitat disturbance.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Cultural and Religious Practices<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Some cultural and religious practices, such as idol immersion, also degrade water quality and intensify ecological stress on these water bodies.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Impacts of Disappearing Lakes<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rapid degradation and disappearance of lakes is triggering wide-ranging ecological, economic, and social consequences across regions.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Groundwater depletion<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> due to loss of recharge capacity, reducing long-term water availability<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Increased urban flooding<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as natural water storage and drainage buffers are destroyed<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Biodiversity loss <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">caused by destruction of aquatic and wetland habitats<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Public health risks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> arising from polluted and contaminated water bodies<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Economic losses<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in fisheries, agriculture, and tourism-dependent livelihoods<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Decline in ecosystem services<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> such as water purification and nutrient cycling<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Urban climate imbalance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> including increased heat stress and reduced local humidity regulation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Infrastructure stress <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">due to unmanaged runoff and waterlogging in cities<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The worsening ecological and socio-economic impacts of lake degradation highlight that the crisis is not merely environmental but deeply rooted in governance and institutional inefficiencies.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Governance Challenges: Public Trust Doctrine Perspective<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Public Trust Doctrine establishes that the state is the trustee of natural resources and must protect them for present and future generations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite this constitutional obligation, lake governance in India remains weak and fragmented.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The persistence of encroachment, pollution, and degradation reflects gaps in institutional accountability and enforcement.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court in Swachh Association vs State of Maharashtra (2025) expanded the doctrine to include artificial water bodies that serve ecological functions, strengthening the legal responsibility of the state.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the gap between judicial principles and ground-level implementation continues to undermine lake conservation efforts. To understand the structural roots of these governance gaps, it is important to examine the constitutional and legal position of water bodies in India.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Constitutional and Legal Framework for Lake Conservation<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under the Indian Constitution, <\/span><b>water falls under the State List<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Therefore, primary responsibility for conservation and management of lakes lies with state governments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>India does not have a comprehensive central legislation exclusively for lake conservation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Regulation is largely dependent on fragmented frameworks.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some states have attempted specific lake conservation laws. <\/span><b>Karnataka enacted a lake conservation law in 2015 but later repealed it in 2018, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reflecting policy instability.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">under the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/environment-protection-act-1986\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Environment Protection Act, 1986<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> provide a regulatory framework for wetland protection, but their coverage is limited to notified wetlands and Ramsar sites.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This results in diffused accountability and weak enforcement, as also observed by the CAG.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Policy Framework for Lake Conservation in India<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has implemented several programmes for lake and wetland conservation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>National Lake Conservation Programme (NLCP)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, launched in 2001, focused on restoring water quality and ecological health of lakes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2013, NLCP was merged with the <\/span><b>National Wetlands Conservation Programme (NWCP)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to form the <\/span><b>National Programme for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at integrated conservation of wetlands and lakes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the effectiveness of these programmes is constrained by selective coverage, dependence on state nominations, funding limitations, and weak monitoring mechanisms.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Way Forward: Strengthening Lake Conservation in India<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A sustainable framework for lake conservation requires multi-dimensional reforms:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India needs a <\/span><b>dedicated national legislation for lake protection<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that sets uniform standards and clearly defines institutional responsibilities.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><b>statutory nodal authority <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">can ensure coordinated governance and reduce fragmentation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Scientific tools such as GIS mapping and remote sensing<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> should be used for real-time monitoring of lake boundaries, encroachments, and water quality.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Strict enforcement of pollution control laws <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is essential to prevent untreated sewage and industrial discharge into lakes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Community participation <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">must be strengthened to ensure local stewardship, while urban planning should integrate lakes as critical ecological infrastructure rather than vacant land.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Integration<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lakes <\/span><b>must be recognised as critical urban ecological infrastructure,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> not vacant land for construction or expansion.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Disappearing lakes in India explained with causes, impacts, and significance. Know threats like pollution and encroachment, governance gaps, and solutions for conservation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":101024,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[7249],"class_list":{"0":"post-101086","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-studies","8":"tag-disappearing-lakes-in-india","9":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101086","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101086"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101086\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":101094,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101086\/revisions\/101094"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/101024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101086"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101086"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}