Bandipora, Apr 04: Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA) has weeded out over one lakh twenty thousand willows from the Wular lake in three years and the sale of these trees has generated around Rs 25 crore.
WUCMA Coordinator Mudasir Mehmood told Rising Kashmir that as part of the conservation of the Wular lake, they have removed 1,20,694 willows in three years. “There are around 20 lakh willows in the lake and they will be removed in a phased manner so as to avoid abrupt environmental damage,” he said.
Records reveal that the willow plantation in Wular lake was initiated in 1924 and a major plantation was carried out in the 1980s and 1990s to meet the firewood needs. However, the study on the willow plantation in the lake revealed that it acted as a blockade for the sediment-filled water of the Jhelum river, causing it to release the sediment into the lake, thus reducing its capacity to hold water.
The WUCMA Coordinator said that in order to improve the lake’s water retention capabilities, more than 20 lakh willows need to be eliminated in the upcoming years. He said that the zones in which these willows are clustered are highly sedimented and have decreased the water-holding capacity of the lake by twenty percent.
Mudasir said the government in collaboration with its implementing agency WUCMA has expedited the process of restoring the Wular lake, which has been facing siltation for decades due to its large catchment area and the passage of the Jhelum river.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha-led administration has taken the initiative to allocate resources for the quick restoration of the lake due to its many advantageous qualities and its vast potential for tourism, Mudasir said.
“If the restoration process continued at the same pace, the lake would be of great benefit to the villages in the area as it will provide an increase in the lake’s produce such as fish and water chestnuts as well as enhance its tourism value,” he added.
