Wular’s Chestnut Harvest Feeds Hundreds of Families in Bandipora, Sopore

Suhail Khan 

Bandipora, Dec 03 :  Wular Lake, Asia’s largest freshwater lake, is celebrated not only for its ecological importance but also as an economic lifeline for hundreds of families along its shores in Sopore and Bandipora.

For generations, the lake has sustained fishing communities, prized for its distinct summer catch. Now, a seasonal winter harvest black water chestnuts has emerged as a vital additional source of livelihood.

Sajad, a local fisherman, said families depend heavily on the lake’s dual harvests.

“By the grace of Allah, two crops come from Wular — one in summer and one in winter — which help us feed our families,” he said, adding that collecting the black chestnut variety in winter is labor-intensive and requires significant effort to extract and clean before it can be sold to dealers. It is this trade, he emphasized, that enables many poor households to survive the harsh winter season.

The water chestnut, an aquatic plant known locally as gaer or singhara, yields green nuts in summer and black ones in winter. “These two harvests play a crucial role in our survival,” Sajad said.

He said that harvesting the black variety during the harsh winter months is demanding. “It requires considerable effort to extract and clean them properly,” he said.

After cleaning, the chestnuts are distributed to dealers who prepare them for market. “This is how poor families like ours survive the winter,” Sajad emphasized, underscoring the lake’s significance for hundreds of households.

         Farooq, a dealer of black water chestnuts, told Kashmir Convener that the produce reaches markets across Kashmir and Jammu. “This winter harvest is an important source of income many families depend on it for their daily bread,” he said. He added that the chestnuts are valued for their taste, often fried and sold in local markets.

         Zameer, a laborer involved in the trade, highlighted their nutritional appeal. “Experts say these black water chestnuts have medicinal properties and are good for health,” he remarked. “In winter, this is how we earn and feed our families.”

         Naseer, another fisherman, said. “From nadru (lotus stems) to fish and chestnuts, Wular Lake provides multiple means of survival,” he said. “Its benefits extend beyond fishermen, it supports a wider business chain across Jammu and Kashmir.”

         Notably, Despite its vital role, Wular Lake faces severe environmental pressures. Considered one of the country’s largest freshwater bodies, it is struggling against pollution, sewage dumping, and encroachment, which locals say are causing its “slow death.”

         Historically, water was drained from the lake to plant willow trees used in making cricket bats, boxes, and firewood, a move that created jobs but also disrupted lake-dependent livelihoods.

         Today, sections of Wular are marred by animal carcasses, polythene waste, and garbage. Drainage pipes from South Kashmir, Srinagar, and other parts of the valley discharge untreated sewage into the lake via the Jhelum River.

         However, Encouragingly, restoration efforts led by the Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA) are showing promising results, including the return of lotus blooms after decades.

         A WUCMA official told Kashmir Convener that sustained dredging and ecological measures in recent years have been fruitful. “The revival of nadru earlier this year resulted from extensive de-siltation, which cleared years of accumulated debris,” he said.

         Earlier this year, four MLAs also joined local stakeholders and fishermen to draw attention to Wular’s declining health, highlighting its ecological degradation and the severe impact on community livelihoods.

         During the recent autumn session of the Legislative Assembly, the Jammu and Kashmir government informed that a comprehensive bathymetric-hydrodynamic study of Wular Lake is being conducted by the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee.

         The study aims to assess the lake’s water-carrying capacity, identify silted areas, and determine siltation rates from feeding channels. In a written reply to MLA Irshad Rasool Kar, the Jal Shakti Department noted that while no prior baseline survey exists, the current study will provide critical data to guide future conservation efforts.