Hokersar wetland is the most vital ecological asset and a designated Ramsar site in Kashmir. It stands at a cross road today. Located within the Jhelum basin and serving as a major habitat for migratory birds, it has long functioned as a natural flood buffer and ecological regulator. But today, it represents not just ecological richness but a stark reflection of governance failure.

The recent audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India brings this reality into sharp focus. What emerges is not merely environmental degradation. It has revealed a deeper crisis of fragmented governance, weak data systems and inadequate institutional coordination. Therefore it can be safely said that Hokersar is not failing on its own. It is being failed.

Audit as a Governance Signal

The audit findings are both alarming and instructive. Across Jammu and Kashmir, nearly half of the lakes have either disappeared or significantly shrunk over the past decades.

Specifically for Hokersar, the audit highlights:

Control over Hokersar is fragmented across multiple departments:

Even past government interventions aimed at coordination have stopped short of creating a statutory, empowered authority with........

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