WAJAHAT SHABIR
SRINAGAR: The water quality of Manasbal Wetland has come under serious scrutiny after a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) inspection found that all seven water samples collected from the lake, its feeder springs and the Lar Canal failed to comply with Class-B water quality criteria for organised outdoor bathing.
The findings are part of a final report submitted by the CPCB before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), in Original Application No. 74/2026 filed by Raja Muzaffar Bhat against the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and others. The case concerns allegations of untreated sewage entering the Manasbal Wetland through the Lar Canal.
The CPCB team from its Regional Directorate, Chandigarh, visited the Manasbal Wetland on April 4, 2026, along with officials of the J&K Pollution Control Committee and Wullar-Manasbal Development Authority (WMDA). The team collected seven water samples—four from Manasbal Lake, two from natural springs and one from the Lar Canal.
According to the report, five of the seven monitored locations—four within Manasbal Lake and one at the Lar Canal—fell under Class D of the CPCB’s Designated Best Use (DBU) classification, meant for propagation of wildlife and fisheries. One sample, collected from the outlet of the temple spring, fell under Class C, which denotes a drinking-water source after conventional treatment and disinfection, while the spring near the lake did not fall under Class A, B, C or D.
The report also records significant microbiological readings. The sample collected south of the lake near Kondabal recorded 780 MPN/100 ml faecal coliform and 35,000 MPN/100 ml total coliform. The Lar Canal sample recorded 2,200 MPN/100 ml faecal coliform and 22,000 MPN/100 ml total coliform. The temple spring recorded 1,100 MPN/100 ml faecal coliform, while the spring near the lake recorded 400 MPN/100 ml.
During its survey, the CPCB team observed mixed municipal solid waste, including plastic bags, bottles and other litter, along the immediate lakefront, particularly near residential areas on the Safapora-Gratabal side towards Kondabal. Some of the accumulated waste was found partially submerged in the lake.
The team also observed open dumping of solid waste and discharge of grey water from adjoining houses along the lakeside slope in the Safapora-Gratabal stretch, while scattered waste deposits were noticed on the Kondabal side.
The CPCB further observed that a portion of the Lar Canal’s flow was being diverted into Manasbal Lake. The applicant had alleged that untreated sewage from 14 villages was being discharged into the wetland through the canal; the CPCB collected a separate sample from the Lar Canal to assess its water quality.
The report identifies seven villages along the lake’s periphery—Kondabal, ChesmaManasbal, Jarokbal, Gratbal, Kharbagh and Bhagwan Mohalla—and states that grey water generated from household activities in these areas is directly discharged into the lake. Officials and residents told the CPCB team that household sewage was being managed through soak pits, although J&KPCC officials also reported observing sewage discharge through small surface drains during an inspection on February 17, 2026.
The WMDA informed the CPCB that several measures had been undertaken for conservation and improvement of the lake, including sewage and solid-waste management, dredging, de-weeding, prevention of encroachment and awareness campaigns.
According to the WMDA’s detailed submission, the lake was dredged after a gap of more than 12 years, covering around 70,000 square feet. Selective manual de-weeding was also undertaken, with about 1.6 lakh square metres of the lake surface cleared of accumulated weeds by March 17, 2026, involving approximately 7,202.5 cubic metres of weeds at a project cost of ₹22 lakh.
The authority also said a sanitation contract was awarded for collecting solid waste from the lake and peripheral areas, resulting in waste collection and disposal across an adopted area of 6.44 lakh square metres. A pedestrian path being constructed around the lake under the Smart City project is intended, among other things, to delineate the lake boundary and prevent encroachments.
A DPR for a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) has also been prepared by the Urban Environmental Engineering Department in consultation with J&K Economic Reconstruction Agency. However, WMDA said it was awaiting an update on the status of the proposed STP. The authority has also asked the department responsible for the Lar irrigation canal to install mesh fencing at canal nodes to prevent solid pollutants from entering the lake.
The CPCB’s report was submitted in compliance with the NGT’s January 30, 2026 direction to ascertain the wetland’s water quality, identify sources of pollutant discharge and submit a status and action-taken report.
