Editorial photo #13560860 Environmental Issue
CAG: 74% of Kashmir's Lakes Are Disappearing
A boatman collects garbage and plastic waste from the waters of Dal Lake in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 11, 2026. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India reports that nearly 74 percent of Kashmir's lakes have either vanished or are shrinking, with 518 out of 697 water bodies affected. This includes 315 that have disappeared and 203 that have reduced in size, resulting in a loss of 2,851 hectares since 1967 due to factors such as climate change and encroachments. (Photo by Firdous Nazir/NurPhoto)