Pink paradise: Lotus beds re-emerge after 25 years; J&K’s Wular lake in full bloom

A carpet of pink and green

lotus beds

resurfaces in Jammu & Kashmir's

Wular lake

after nearly 25 years since the catastrophic 1992 floods.Wular Lake, spread over 200 sq km in north Kashmir, is nestled between the foothills of the Haramukh mountain range in Bandipora district - is Asia's second largest freshwater lake.Once known for its tranquil waters and iconic lotus beds, it was acutely hit by the 1992 Kashmir floods, which buried its lotus-bearing areas under heavy layers of silt, completely destroying its aquatic ecosystem."This is nothing short of a miracle," said Abdul Hameed, a local resident. "For years, we tried to bring the lotus back by dispersing seeds into the lake. But it did not work — the silt had choked everything", reported PTI.

Conservation efforts by Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA) in recent years, including de-siltation drives, catchment area treatment, show positive signs of

ecological revival

as lotus beds resurfaced this year.Located about 70 km from Srinagar, Wular Lake’s ecological revival not only signals a boost for tourism but also offers a renewed source of livelihood. Lotus flowers are locally known as ‘

Nadru

’, which is a Kashmiri delicacy, made using lotus stems, which have long been harvested in the valley.Wular Lake is a designated Ramsar site and plays a crucial role in flood control, groundwater recharge, and sustaining regional biodiversity.