Save diminishing Wular
Bilal Hussain Wular, which is considered to be the largest freshwater lakes in Asia, was having
an enormous area of 210 square kilometers in 60’s, which at present has got reduced to 189 square kilometers. The rampant silitation and extensive farming are the main factors for the devastation of lake, human encroachments has further worsen the environment of dwindling wular. The pace of contamination and encroachments are so high that it is going to take hardly a decade to make the once living lake to be declared as dead one. If
pollution level goes unchecked like it is being done now then it won’t be far away to see the lake disappearing from the world record of Lakes.The Wular Lake has the Fluviatile origin (Fluvial origin having been formed from ox-bows of rivers which flow across the
valley, meandering the alluvial deposits), in case of Wular the river is Jehlum. The origin of word
Wular is from the Kashmiri word
Wul, which means a gap or a crack.Wular Lake plays an important role in hydrological system of the Kashmir valley that acts as an absorption basin for floodwater. The lake is the host to numerous migratory birds allover globe. Birds like
Marbled Teal, Pallas's Fish-eagle, Coot, European Roller and many others use the lake for breeding and other purposes. Among them
Marbled Teal, Pallas's Fish-eagle is in the Red list of IUCN. So, one can have a thin sagacity of how significant the lake is for the existence of these endangered species, and also for the survival of endemic biodiversity that exists in and around the lake and for maintaining an ecological balance in the region. There is a stern threat of loosing the natural diversity counting loss of some important endemic and endangered species due to human encroachment, increase in pollution level and heavy silitation.Wular is about 13 miles long and 6 miles broad, wrapping an area of about 78.5 sq. miles. The maximum depth of the lake currently is about 14 meters but as the rampant pollution level is increasing, the depth too has got reduced to about 2 meters at some places. According to the environmentalists depth reduction has threatened a number of endemic species of the lake, thereby making them figure in the endangered list of species. It is high time for the government to think of involving Local/International NGOs and inhabitants of that area for the conservation and shrewd use of Lakes in valley and Wular Lake in particular. Authorities need to keep a check on the rampant pollution that is vanishing the lake at an awfully high pace. Government with the help of some INGOs have to join their hands, have to come out with an action plan for the sustainable use and development of the Wular lake and its adjacent wetlands. That would benefit not only the ecology of the lake but also to the inhabitants of that area, by involving them in them in the development of the lake. We are giving too much of our attention to the Dying Dal-Lake there by making other water bodies of the valley suffer. I am of the view that we should save and protect the Dal Lake but not at the cost of others. Need of the hour is to give the same weight-age to other water bodies of the valley as well. (Author can be contacted at bilal4u2@gmail.com)