Wular: Today, and Yesterday

Kashmir is bestowed with numerous wetlands, adding to its already colourful landscape - mountains, hills, meadows, valleys and some table tops. However, as time has progressed, the colour and splendour of these beauties have gradually dwindled.

During the disastrous Kashmir floods of 2014, it was realized that the capacity of wetlands to hold water had seriously reduced, whether it is the Dal Lake, the Nigeen Lake, or the Wular Lake. I have glowing and vivid childhood memories of the Wular, when it would look like an ocean to me as I stood on its banks with my classmates, on the occasion of school excursion. Now as I see the Wular, it looks to be dying a slow death, with plenty of moss and algae in its water. The Wular has been known for absorbing excess water during excess rains, but the failure of it along with other wetlands of the valley to capture surplus, clearly demonstrates as to where the lake is heading to.

One of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia, the Wular Lake has shrunk to nearly half of its original area in the last few decades due to administrative apathy, extensive pollution, siltation and encroachment by selfish inhabitants.

The lake in north Kashmir's Bandipora district, is dying a silent death really which can be viewed on a visit to this fantastic Lake.  The lake confronts environmental threats including the conversion of large parts of catchment areas into agriculture land, siltation, rampant willow plantation, encroachment, untreated sewage, solid waste and weed infestation.

It covered an area of 217.8 sq km which included 58 sq km of associated marshes in 1911. The area was reduced to 86.71 sq km from 1911 to 2007. But as per the State's 2013 revenue records, the lake's area has shrunk to 75 sq km. By and large, there has been reduction of the lake area by 45% mainly due to conversion to agriculture (28%), and plantation (17%). Further, associated marshes have been reduced by 70% again due to conversions for agriculture and settlements. One fifth of the water holding capacity has been lost over last three decades due to siltation from catchments and wetland conversions for agriculture and willow plantations.

The Wular operates as a proficient basin for floodwaters, maintaining a balance in the hydrographic system in the Valley, therefore plays a significant role in water safekeeping in the Kashmir valley by regulating the release of floodwaters. It is believed that the straight release of solid and liquid wastes from the settlements all along river Jhelum, mainly from Srinagar city and other towns in the upstream area have led to degradation of water quality and health risks to the  areas around the Lake. In view of the huge biodiversity value, the lake was declared a Ramsar site (wetland of international importance) in 1990. But the conservation process started only in 2011 when the Centre agreed to release Rs 120 crore in four instalments for conservation and restoration of the Lake and nobody knows what is happening with that project.

The Wular Lake, one of the largest Fresh Water lakes in Asia, could be a great tourist destination. A visit around the lake covered by green mountain tops soothes a human soul. The beautiful and natural spot with greenery, and with a majestic flowing stream upon a vast area round the Lake under the mountain hill of Hazrat Bab Shukr-ud Din (RA) could have been developed as a very great tourist spot. The semi circle space around the Lake could developed on the pattern of Marine Drive and in this regard P. K. Pole, then Divisional Commissioner had clamoured before press and public that a Marine Drive Like path shall be built upon the Wular Lake and thus the economical condition of the District Bandipore could improve due to the inflow of tourists. What happened to that idea, nobody knows? It is sad that this probable prospective tourism attraction has been ignored by all regimes during the last 70 years.

It has immense potential of water sports which has been recognized and even launched by the Government of India in collaboration with the Kerala Tourism and J&K Tourism. But this endeavour has also gone to the winds due to bad condition of roads leading towards this great Lake; courtesy, the indifferent attitude of the rulers.

The great and prominent Kashmiri King Zain ul Aabdin, who constructed the artificial island of Zaina Lank in the middle of the lake in 1444, could be developed as another tourist attraction as has been carried in the midst of the Dal Lake.  With the tourist inflow, economic growth and promotion could have been enforced in view of the tremendous capacity of fish production within the waters of the lake. There is no doubt that the Wular Lake has immense tourism potential and the Government of Jammu and Kashmir ought to be very much interested in developing this place as a tourist destination by creating infrastructure and other facilities at this place. The valley is having shortage of drinking water and the protection of this lake can save us from more trouble on this front.

Time and again, civil organizations, citizens, tourism loving individuals and leading papers have been stressing that the Wular needs attention for restoration of its past glory. However, rarely have the authorities come forward with a plan on how to restore this great lake. Recently, The Group of Concerned Citizens's (GCC) four member delegation headed by Khurshid Ahmed Ganai, IAS (Retrd)  visited the Wular lake and held interactions with many concerned officers including  Deputy Commissioner Bandipore, and officers of  the Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WCMA).

The GCC delegation impressed upon the DC to take up the matter of the Wular lake with the J&K government and the Chief Secretary so that a revised restoration and conservation plan is prepared. The GCC suggested that in view of the size of the problem it may be useful to seek international collaboration, and procure the latest technology for the purpose.

The GCC suggested to the DC to request LG and Chief Secretary to review the project with WCMA and experts from outside Kashmir and those from Kashmir who have worked on the lake previously.  GCC's initiative is welcome, but the movement of restoration the Wular needs to be taken to its conclusion.

The Nigeen Lake Conservation Organization (NLCO)  under the Chairmanship of Manzoor Ahmad Wangnoo is doing a commendable job of restoring the lakes in Srinagar, and they need to take forward  this mission to all water bodies  across Kashmir particularly, the Wular. I request the NLCO to visit the Wular and take up the mission of protecting it from further decay.