Jammu, Mar 11: The Jammu and Kashmir government said on Tuesday that it was committed to restoring the pristine glory of Wular Lake, a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
The response, came during the ongoing Legislative Assembly session in Jammu when MLA Bandipora, Nizam-ud-Din Bhat raised a starred question regarding the conservation efforts for the lake.
In response, the J&K government’s Department of Forest, Ecology & Environment said several significant measures had been taken for the lake’s restoration and conservation.
“The government has constituted the Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA) for the management of the lake. Since 2012, WUCMA has been implementing a Comprehensive Management Action Plan (CMAP) to protect and rejuvenate Wular Lake,” the government said.
The major initiatives under CMAP, the department said, include wetland survey and demarcation, improving water regimes, catchment area conservation, biodiversity conservation, ecotourism development, sustainable resource management and institutional development for effective management.
Asked whether the degradation of Wular Lake had adversely impacted the fishermen population, the government denied any negative impact. “Wular contributes nearly 60% of Kashmir’s total fish production and supports the livelihood of 5,200 registered fishermen.
“The fish catch over the last three years has increased significantly, with the production reaching 1,215.25 metric tonnes for local fish and 3,378.6 metric tonnes for carp in 2023-24,” it said. (KNO)
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