Jammu Tawi, March 25 -- Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a drastic decline in its wetland area over the past decade, with the total wetland cover reducing from 3,91,501 hectares in 2011 to just 1,64,110 hectares in 2021, according to government data.



This marks a loss of over 57% of J&K's wetlands in ten years, raising concerns over unchecked encroachments and environmental degradation.



In contrast, Ladakh's wetlands have been mapped separately for the first time, with a recorded total wetland area of 3,73,049 hectares as of 2021. The data provides a baseline for wetland conservation efforts in the Union Territory.



The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), in response to a query in the Lok Sabha, as per...