Wular Lake is more than a popular destination. It houses the stories of many who depend on it for their livelihood. One of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia, it is located in the north of Kashmir. Around 5-7 thousand fishermen earn their livelihood from the lake, says a report published by the Department of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing, Government of Jammu & Kashmir. The lake contributes more than 60 per cent of the fish production in Kashmir. Abdul Rahman Kawaa, a fisherman, works 11-12 hours a day at the lake to survive his family. “We’re fishing too, for our livelihood, but as of now, the major focus is on water chestnuts,” says Kawaa. Overall, more than thirty villages located on the periphery of the pristine lake are associated with the chestnut trade with youngsters leading from the front. Mafooza and Kulsuma who are friends drive a boat full of water chest nuts at Wular Lake in Bandipora, Jammu and Kashmir.
The families with low economic status are involved in the chestnuts business. The villages taking pride in water chestnuts businesses include Lankrishipora, Kehnusa, Kunzpora, Saderkoot, Zurimanz, Ashtangu, Garoora, Banyari, Kunzpora, Kanibathi, Bakhchibal, Kulhama and Laharwalpora. The buyers at the banks of Wular Lake document sales before procuring it in the market. Usually, water chestnuts cost INR 50 ($0.67) per kilogram. “We have learned this process the hard way from our ancestors. It’s good to keep this tradition alive, but at the same time, things have changed rapidly,” says Saleema Begum who collects water caltrops along with selling fishes to feed a family of four. The Lake, which acts as a natural flood reservoir for the River Jehlum, has shrunk to about a quarter of its original size largely due to siltation from rivers feeding into the lake and human encroachments. Due to human interference, there has been severe depletion of some important endemic and endangered plants. Wular Lake looks more like a flat marshy plain than a large lake now because it is silting up rapidly due to run-off from its denuded catchment.