Dredging, Vigilance Drive Played a Vtal Role in Wular’s Bird Revival: Bird Watchers
SEERAT-UN-NISA
BANDIPORA, Nov 19: After the revival of the Lotus bloom nearly three decades later, North Kashmir’s Wular Lake has witnessed a striking rise in migratory bird populations over the last four years, a development locals and bird watchers attribute to extensive restoration works and strengthened anti-poaching measures.
As winter sets in across the Valley and the landscape loses colour, Wular Lake has turned vibrant, now buzzing with thousands of winged visitors migrating from Siberia, Central Asia, Europe and other colder regions. Residents living along the lake’s banks say the bird population has doubled in the past three years following major dredging works undertaken by the Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA), particularly in the Saderkot Payeen stretch of Bandipora.
The renewed activity has drawn bird lovers from across Kashmir and beyond. Mohd Altaf, a bird enthusiast from Ganderbal, said the resurgence has given “Wular Lake’s heartbeat back” and brought bird watchers from various parts of the country to the region. He credited WUCMA for maintaining the lake, curbing poaching and restoring habitats, and emphasised that “it is the responsibility of locals as well to keep the lake’s beauty alive.”
Residents in Saderkot Payeen also believe the revival began with the return of the Lotus, which resurfaced due to large-scale dredging and ecological interventions. A local resident said the comprehensive dredging—over 78.43 lakh cubic meters, according to WUCMA—has “revived the Lotus first, and now we are witnessing the arrival of migratory birds like Mallards, long-tailed ducks and other species from Siberia, Central Asia and Europe.” He added that Wular is “coming alive again” but called for further steps to enhance the lake’s long-term protection.
The winter migration begins in October and lasts till April, according to WUCMA officials. Last year, the rare long-tailed duck was sighted in Wular after nearly 84 years, an occurrence that officials describe as a clear sign of ecological recovery.
WUCMA field official Mudasir Ahmad said the authority has taken several steps in recent years to avoid disturbance to the birds. He explained that CCTV surveillance systems have been installed, several watchtowers constructed, and monitoring teams deployed throughout the lake zone to prevent poaching. “Our teams of anti-poaching squads, in coordination with the Forest Department, regularly patrol the lake, seize illegal weapons, and register FIRs against those involved in poaching activities,” he said.
These measures have already shown results: around 1 million migratory birds visited Wular last year, and the department expects the number to increase to 11–12 lakh this winter.
Wular Lake, designated as a Ramsar site on March 23, 1990, lies along the Central Asian Flyway, one of the world’s most important migratory bird routes. With the Lotus returning and bird populations swelling, both experts and locals see the resurgence as a hopeful sign that one of Kashmir’s most vital ecosystems is slowly reclaiming its former glory.
