Lotus blooms at Wular Lake again after three decades

Lotus have found their way back to Wular Lake—Asia's second fresh water lake—after decades.

- Mir Ehsan

The reappearance of the Lotus flower is being seen as a major step towards lake conservation and a hope for those families who used to earn their livelihood from the lake. A pack of two kilogram of Lotus stem is sold in local markets for ₹250 to 350 depending upon the qual-

The blooming lotuses have not only cheered environmentalists but also the 80,000 people who are directly of indirectly dependent on the lake for livelihood. Locals as well as officials give credit to conservation project launched by WUCMA in 2018.

Spread over two districts —Baramulla and Bandipora —in north Kashmir, the Wular Lake is one of the 42 Indian wetlands designated as a Ramsar site, which means lakes of international standard. It is shallow with a maximum depth of 5.8 m and covers 130 sq km, providing 60% of the Valley's fish produce. The lake is also known for water chestnuts and is the lifeline of the 50 surrounding villages. For the past six years, more than ₹300 crore have been spent on the lake's conservation and experts say results are reflecting on ground.