Abstract

Kashmir, popularly known as paradise on earth is gifted with numerous water bodies comprising of rivers, lakes, streams and springs. We discuss in this paper various water bodies of district Srinagar of Kashmir valley, their present status and role. Data was collected from published resources, internet and field surveys for this study. It was found that once clean water bodies of district Srinagar, i.e., Dal lake, Anchar lake, Khushalsar lake, Gilsar, Nigeen lake, Jhelum, have fallen victim to extensive encroachment, garbage dumping, climate, over-extraction of ground water, change and the release of untreated sewage. Water bodies play a vital role in the region's ecosystem, human settlements, support local ecosystems, agriculture sector, fisheries, and tourism which play a significant role in Jammu and Kashmir’s economy. Water Pollution, Siltation and Deforestation, Climate Change are the main challenges water bodies are facing in district Srinagar. It is the responsibility of all stake holders to protect these water bodies used as drinking water sources, an important component of our lives.

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