Jammu, Feb 19: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday informed the Legislative Assembly that approximately 1.35 lakh willow trees have been removed from the Wular Lake basin in the first phase of a restoration exercise, generating revenue of Rs 31.95 crore from the felled timber.
In a written reply to a query raised by legislator Irshad Rasool Kar during the ongoing budget session, the government as per Kashmir Convener said the removal of willow plantations is being carried out as a habitat management and lake restoration measure under the Comprehensive Management Action Plan (CMAP) for Wular Lake, 2007.
The reply, submitted by the minister in charge of Forest, Ecology and Environment, clarified that the exercise cannot be construed as deforestation.
“This activity involves ecological restoration intervention and cannot be construed as deforestation, as it does not involve diversion or degradation of forest land but rather the removal of invasive or ecologically adverse vegetation to restore the natural wetland character of Wular Lake,” the government said.
According to the reply, the removal of willows from areas including Ninglee (Hygam), Gund, Jahangir and Kanyari has been approved by the government and the Forest Advisory Committee.
The government informed the House that the total estimated number of willow trees in and around Wular Lake is approximately 19-21 lakh. However, it clarified that the CMAP, 2007, does not envisage blanket removal of all willow plantations.
Instead, it prescribes “selective, phased, and need-based removal, aligned with specific lake restoration and habitat management objectives,” the reply stated.
In the first phase, a total of 1.91 lakh willow trees were identified for removal, out of which approximately 1.35 lakh trees have already been removed, the government said.
The revenue generated so far from management interventions amounts to approximately Rs 31.95 crore, the government informed the House, adding that the entirety of the amount has been duly deposited under government receipts in accordance with prescribed financial rules.
Responding to concerns about loss of green cover, the government said significant afforestation work has been undertaken in the catchment areas of the lake.
“In Bandipora catchment of Wular Lake, an area exceeding 2,900 hectares has been treated through afforestation, plantation and soil conservation measures,” the reply said.
The government informed the House that since the establishment of the Wular Conservation Management Authority in 2012, more than 19 lakh plants have been planted under CAPEX and CAMPA schemes in close coordination with the Forest Territorial Wing.
It added that these initiatives have contributed significantly to slope stabilisation, erosion control and reduction of sediment load entering the lake.
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