- Large-scale dredging of the Wullar Lake in progress
BANDIPORA: Wullar Conservation & Management Authority (WUCMA) organized a programme to mark the Work Wetland Day at Watlab in Bandipora today. The daylong event was attended by environmentalists, eminent members of civil society, NGOs, officers of WUCMA and students. Speaking on the occasion Chief Executive Director WUCMA Mian Javed informed that the authority has launched intensive dredging operations in the critically silted areas of the Lake along Banyari side.
He said about 9.5 lakh cubic meters of the silt load has been dredged out upto ending January this year against the target of 12 lakh cubic metres to be completed upto March, 2016. He said the authority is currently dredging out the heavily silted 5.7 kms along Maaz Nallah which will rejuvenate Malagam and Ajas rakhs, the two key associated wetlands of Wullar Lake. Mian Javed said WUCMA is also rehabilitating highly degraded forest areas of Erin and Maduhmati catchments which are cause for deposition of slit in wullar.
He said WUCMA has planted 3.5 lakh conifers and broadleaved plants in catchment forests and till March,2016 about seven lakh saplings will be planted along 700 hectares of land as a part of mass greening operations. Calling for preservation of the wetlands, experts said urbanization and population explosion is a great threat to the existence of wetlands. They termed wetlands as the kidneys of the system as they perform the same function in the eco system as the kidney in the body.
Speakers felt the need of regular monitoring of wetlands for their preservation stressing that wetlands are not only the habitat of migratory birds but livelihood of thousands of people is also attached to these wetlands. Earlier WUCMA organised an eco-walk at Watlab along the banks of Wullar. The aim of walk was to make the people aware about the importance and socio-economic values of wetland and sensitize the society about the preservation of wetlands.