Fardeen Mohammad Bhat:
Manasbal Lake is a place of legend and solace, once famous across Jammu and Kashmir as Asia’s deepest freshwater lake, a ribbon of crystal-clear waters framed by willow trees and orchards, ringed by a walking path that welcomed morning walkers, pilgrims, and families. Today, on a run around the lake, I found that its glory has slipped into shameful neglect.
From the moment I set out, I saw signs of decay and disrespect. The walking path that was meant to encircle the lake is broken in many stretches, driven over by bikes and used as a route to herd cattle and sheep. Cow dung litters the trail, making the area unhygienic for visitors. Lamp posts are missing, while those that remain are rusted or vandalized. Shops established by the Wular Manasbal Development Authority sit abandoned and dilapidated, apparently unchanged for nearly two decades. Traditional shikaras, the very boats that are part of the lake’s identity, have been locked and caged beside the Wular Manasbal Development Authority office, gathering dust instead of carrying passengers.
The state of the water is perhaps the most alarming. Where people once saw clear depths, the surface is now choked with silt, refuse, and algal growth. In places, the lake has visibly shrunk, exposing land that should be underwater. Stray dogs roam freely along the banks. Encroachment has eaten into the lake’s area, with small structures and makeshift stalls edging closer to the waterline. All of this signals not only neglect but active mismanagement.
This is not merely an aesthetic loss. Manasbal is an ecological asset. Its depth, biodiversity, and surrounding wetlands support birds, fish, and the livelihoods of local families. A healthy lake moderates the microclimate, supports groundwater recharge, and sustains agriculture and fisheries. Allowing it to deteriorate harms both the environment and the economy of the surrounding villages.
Responsibility for this decline rests with the authorities charged with the lake’s protection. The Wular Manasbal Development Authority, entrusted with conserving and promoting the lake, must answer why lamp posts were stolen and never replaced, why pathways were allowed to be driven over and strewn with dung, and why the infrastructure it created has been left to rot. Local agencies and municipal bodies responsible for sanitation, preventing encroachments, and enforcing regulations also share responsibility.
There is cause for renewed hope. A new environment committee has been constituted under the leadership of Comrade Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami. This presents an opportunity to act decisively before further irreversible damage occurs. I urge the committee and all relevant departments to adopt an immediate, time-bound restoration plan with clear accountability. Key steps should include:
• Immediate cleanup: Remove garbage, silt, and invasive vegetation. Repair and clear the walking path. Replace or secure lamp posts.
• Prevent encroachment: Demarcate the lake boundary, remove illegal structures, and enforce restrictions on vehicles using the pathways.
• Restore water quality: Assess pollution sources, including sewage, runoff, and dumping. Implement containment and treatment measures and begin desiltation where necessary.
• Revive traditional boats and tourism: Service and return shikaras to active use, clean park areas, and relaunch responsible local tourism that benefits communities.
• Community stewardship: Involve village councils, fisherfolk, and residents in lake monitoring and maintenance. Establish volunteer “lake guardians” and conduct public awareness campaigns.
• Transparent accountability: Publish an audit of the lake’s condition along with a timeline of responsibilities and targets. Hold the Wular Manasbal Development Authority and other agencies accountable to the public.
• Long-term ecological planning: Develop a conservation strategy that includes biodiversity assessment, wetland restoration, and sustainable livelihood opportunities for local communities.
Manasbal’s decline is not solely the story of a damaged lake. It is a reflection of how we value, or fail to value, our natural heritage. Restoring Manasbal is achievable, but it will require political will, administrative action, community engagement, and sustained funding. Comrade Tarigami’s committee must turn the rhetoric of protection into practical, visible action so that future generations can once again walk along a clean path, ride in a shikara, and marvel at the depth and beauty of Manasbal.
As someone who ran its perimeter and witnessed this decline firsthand, I speak with both urgency and hope. Let us chart a clear path to recovery, hold those responsible to account, and restore Manasbal Lake to its rightful place as one of the great natural treasures of Jammu and Kashmir.
