Kashmir lake faces threat from encroachment

Hokersar lake in Kashmir, which attracts birds from various parts of the world including as far as Siberia, is facing a threat from massive encroachments and the state government is now drawing up plans to preserve the wetland.
Situated about 10 kms north of Srinagar, the Hokersar wetland comprises a lake and marshy area, spread over an area of more than 7.6 square kms.
It has been subjected to encroachment over 208.6 acres (1,669 Kanals) over the last 25 years.
"Everybody is involved in the encroachment of this wetland -- from officials to people and other people. They are to be blamed for it. But this government is committed to weed out the encroachments from this land," Minister of State (MoS) for Forests Majid Paddar told PTI.

"We will not tolerate any encroachments of these water bodies," he said, about the menace which is threatening the existence of Hokersar.
Over three lakh migratory birds visit this wetland apart from Dal lake from as far away as Siberia, Europe, Turkey, China, Phillipines and Kazakhstan between September and April annually.

There are coots, greylag geese, mallards, teals, shovellers, pintails, gadwalls, wigeons, and purple moorhens in the reserve besides local birds. The cormorants and the sandhill cranes make a brief stopover in the Hokersar wetland and shift to Indian plains during intense cold weather conditions in Kashmir.
The encroached area has been calculated at 1,669 kanals and 3 marlas (208.6 acres) out of which 1,583 kanals and 3 marlas (198 Acres) is under paddy cultivation and 86 kanals (10.74 Acres) under settlement.

The state government had put up the details before Jammu and Kashmir Assembly's House Committee for information and action.
The department of Wildlife Protection along with the committee of the Revenue officials, constituted by deputy Commissioner Baramulla, has completed the delineation and identification of encroachments on ground, he said.