Udhampur District

Wildlife Board clears Lower Demwe hydel project despite flaws in report

In the present study, surface and groundwater quality monitoring has been undertaken in parts of Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir in order to evaluate its quality for domestic and agricultural purposes. Water sources are polluted by four kinds of substances: traditional organic waste, waste generated from industrial processes, chemical agents of fertilizers & pesticides used for crop production and silt from degraded catchment.

The report presents a sedimentation study of the Mansar lake in Udhampur district situated about 55 kms east of Jammu at an elevation of 666 m above mean sea level in the Siwalik terrain. The lake surface area is 0.59 sqkm whereas the lake basin area is 1.67 sqkm. The maximum depth of lake is 38.25 m. The lake has been developed as a tourist spot of the region owing to its natural beauty. The water is also being used for drinking and irrigation purposes.

The study attempts water quality monitoring of Mansar lake to detect the various water quality parameters. The lake water conditions were monitored by collecting water samples from different depths to determine the spatial and temporal variations.

The study undertakes an exhaustive survey of the morphometric features of the Mansar lake, Udhampur district to prepare a bathymetric map of the lake. The map is useful in understanding the lake hydrological behavior through a study of volume, sedimentation rate and identification of the high siltation zone. The study is significant as the lake water can be utilized for drinking and irrigation purposes for the water scarce Kandi belt of Jammu.