Anchar Lake
Location of lake in India.
Location of lake in India.
Anchar Lake
LocationSoura, J&K, India
Coordinates34°09′N 74°47′E / 34.150°N 74.783°E / 34.150; 74.783
Typelake

Anchar Lake (Kashmiri pronunciation: [/aːn̂t͡ʃaːr/] pronunciationⓘ) is a lake located in Soura in the Srinagar district of the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.

Situated close to Ganderbal, the lake is connected with the famous Dal Lake via a channel "Amir Khan Nallah" which passes through Gilsar and Khushal Sar. The lake is in a highly deteriorated condition. In case of flooding, the excessive water of Dal is diverted here.[1]

The Shallabugh Wetland extends to include Anchar Lake, which serves as a vital water source for the interconnected wetland ecosystem. It plays a pivotal role in maintaining the balance of aquatic life and promoting environmental harmony in the region. This wetland serves as a connecting link between Anchar Lake and the Sind River.[2]

Deterioration

Once a popular tourist destination as tourists on shikaras and houseboats used to travel here from Dal Lake, over the years it has deteriorated owing to pollution, large scale encroachment, and illegal constructions in its surroundings.[3] In the 1990s, when the Nallah Mar was covered to build the Mearplan highway around western side of Dal, six-foot pipes were laid under the new road, to allow Dal to continue to drain into the Anchar lake system, however the pipes soon clogged due to waste and debris.[4]

Like the Dal lake and Wular Lake, it is home to the Hanji community which live near the lake in an area called as Anchar among the locals.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Floods in Kashmir, Army called out". The Times of India. 4 September 2006. Archived from the original on 11 January 2014.
  2. ^ "Shallabugh Wetland Grows as Eco-Tourism Spot, Urges Collective Conservation". Kashmir Life. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Anchar Lake near Srinagar on the verge of extinction". Newstrack India. 10 April 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  4. ^ "To save a lake: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has launched an ambitious effort to save the Dal lake in Srinagar". Vol. 15, no. 11. Frontline. 23 May – 5 June 1998. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  5. ^ Puri, Luv (15 May 2005). "Communities: A lake endangered". The Hindu. Retrieved 7 March 2018.[dead link]

External links

Kashmir Valley
Hydrography of Jammu and Kashmir
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