HYDROLOGICAL PROFILE OF MANSAR AND SURINSAR LAKES OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR, INDIAANURADHA, RANDEEP S. MANHAS AND MOHIT GERAAbstract Environmental degradation is one of the prime indicators of unsustainable socio- economic and inequitable development. The urgent need for present times is to utilize our natural resources in a sustainable manner so that their depletion is minimised and pollution is kept under control. As the global population continues to increase rapidly, the growing human need for freshwater is leading to a crisis like situation in many parts of the world. The fresh water resources comprise the river systems, groundwater and wetlands. Updated information on environmental changes undergoing in these life support fresh water systems is necessary for their protection and remediation. Apart from important river systems, the State of Jammu and Kashmir is bestowed with a number of lakes and wetlands which have been notified as Ramsar Sites. Mansar and Surinsar are two such lakes located in Jammu region. These lakes for their importance to local communities and tourism are being monitored by the State Pollution Control Board for their water quality. The paper highlights the Physico–chemical characteristics of Mansar and Surinsar lakes based on the parameters recorded during the year 2010-2011. Chemical analysis of lake water samples reveals that the Ca and Mg account for 68% of the cations and HCO3 accounts for 85% of the total anion. The concentration of phosphate (< 0.01) confirms that the lakes have entered into the eutrophic stage. High values of alkalinity and hardness and their direct relation with each other show that they are resulting from a common source of dissolution of carbonates.
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