The Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) on Friday said that lotus flowers would bloom again in the Watlab area of Wular Lake, as restoration work was in full swing.
Talking to reporters during an inspection of the Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA) projects in Bandipora district, CCF Kashmir, Irfan Rasool, said that dredging and ecological restoration works have resumed in the area, while lakefronts, eco-parks and cycling infrastructure are also being developed to boost eco-tourism around Asia’s largest freshwater lake.
CCF Rasool said the forest department was reviving restoration efforts that had been delayed for nearly a year and was mobilising dredging machinery to clear silt and waste from the Watlab area.
“Lotus had naturally reappeared after earlier desiltation efforts. Now the dredging has been started again, and we are hopeful that lotus will bloom again in the Watlab area,” he said.
The CCF, accompanied by officials, inspected restoration works at Watlab, Ningli, Banyari and Saderkoot besides reviewing progress under the Bandipora Forest Division.
He said work at eco-parks in Saderkoot was progressing satisfactorily and was expected to be completed within the next two to three months.
He said three major restoration sites under the Wullar conservation programme were being developed simultaneously, including Banyari—the entry point of the Jhelum into Wullar which had suffered from severe siltation and received priority intervention.
CCF Kashmir said proposals were being prepared to restore springs and ponds, repair damaged public grounds at Watlab and develop a circular road and cycle track linking Adipora, Watlab and Bandipora.
CCF said consultants have also been engaged to finalise the infrastructure plans.
He further said the department was developing parks at Saderkoot, Banyari, Watlab and Ningli to enhance tourism.
“Lakefront development at Watlab is also planned over the next one to two years to create recreational facilities of international standard,” he added.
He said desilted material from the lake was being scientifically reused for developing parks and public spaces.
CCF Kashmir also reviewed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) site in Bandipora, where legacy solid waste had accumulated.
“A Phytoremediation proposal has been prepared to scientifically reclaim the area in compliance with court directions,” he said.
He said that protecting Wular required both government intervention and community participation, saying solid waste entering the lake through the Jhelum as well as from lakeside villages remained a major challenge.
“We want to develop model villages around Wular where no waste reaches the lake,” he said.
He added that Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) would be established by clustering villages to ensure scientific waste management across the lake’s immediate catchment.
CCF Kashmir said all the restoration activities were being implemented according to the Wular master plan with scientific interventions aimed at improving lake ecology, conserving biodiversity and supporting the livelihoods of local communities.
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