Srinagar, Apr 11 — Malfunctioning sewage treatment plants (STPs) and failure to treat waste effectively have emerged as central factors behind the shrinking of Dal Lake, with a latest audit flagging serious gaps in on-ground sewage management.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report noted that despite spending over Rs 45 crore on STPs, sewage entering the lake was “not treated as per prescribed standards,” allowing untreated waste from households, houseboats and hotels to flow directly into the water body.
“Untreated waste… continued to flow into the lake due to incomplete sewer networks and delays in connecting households and houseboats to treatment systems,” the report said.
The audit recorded a decline in the lake’s area from 15.40 sq km in 2007 to 12.91 sq km in 2020 — a drop of 10.15 per cent — linking the deterioration primarily to pollution inflows and weak wastewater treatment systems.
Flagging systemic failures, the report said STPs remained either underperforming or inadequately integrated with sewer networks, undermining their purpose. “Installation and upgradation of STPs… were either delayed or inadequately executed,” it noted.
Apart from malfunctioning STPs, the audit cited non-acquisition of land from Dal dwellers, weak monitoring, and improper de-weeding as contributing factors. However, it underscored that continued inflow of untreated sewage has accelerated nutrient loading, triggering excessive weed growth and further reducing open water area.
“It may be seen… there was a decrease from 15.40 to 12.91 square kilometres… while floating vegetation and built-up areas increased,” the report said, pointing to changing land-use patterns driven by human activity.
The findings also exposed gaps in project execution, including underutilisation of funds between Rs 48.63 crore and Rs 280.68 crore during 2017–22, delays in approvals, and absence of detailed project reports for key works.
Encroachments in areas such as Mir Behri, Lati Mohalla and Nandapora, along with incomplete relocation of houseboats and hotels, further compounded the ecological stress, the audit noted.
Describing Dal as the “liquid heart” of Srinagar, the CAG stressed urgent corrective measures, calling for a robust lake management policy with special focus on ensuring effective functioning and upgradation of STPs, alongside improved sewer connectivity and solid waste treatment.
“Unless systemic gaps in planning, execution and monitoring are addressed, restoration of the lake’s shrinking water body would remain a challenge,” the report warned.