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The Hindu
20-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
News in Frames: Wular back in the pink
The sight of dew droplets dripping down large lotus leaves in the morning enhances the bewitching charm of the Wular lake in the Kashmir Valley these days. Waxy green leaves and pink lotuses now embellish the large surface of the freshwater lake, surrounded by mountains, after a gap of three decades. 'It is the Almighty's miracle that lotuses are a reality on the lake again. The lake had turned barren more than three decades ago for our own sins. For local farmers, it means more money and happier times ahead this year,' says Bashir Dar, a local fisherman. Over the years, farming practices and rising population had increased nutrient pollution load and silting into the lake waters, which saw an extraordinary increase in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels. Lotus, being a deep lake plant, only blooms in water with low phosphorus. Also, with large amounts of silt added to the lakebed, which acts as an absorption basin for floodwaters, the lotus plants could not survive. 'Lotus blooming [at present] is the result of ongoing de-siltation carried out after the 2014 floods in Kashmir,' says Khursheed Khan, a teacher. The lake, once considered among Asia's largest freshwater lakes, tells a sad story of ecological degradation. According to the Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife Department, the area of the lake was 217.8 in 1911 and included 58 of associated marshes. However, it was reduced to an alarming 86.71 by 2007. The main cause of this shrinkage was conversion into agricultural land, thus reducing the lake area by 28% and its fauna by 17%, an official survey suggests. In 1992, lotuses in the Wular stopped blooming after floods in the Jhelum river damaged the ecosystem. At present, the lake is surrounded by 31 villages and home to over 12,000 households. The Wular lake is also home to folklore, with mythology and legends woven around gods and kings of the past. The local communities are overjoyed by the pink blooms today. Lotuses act as a barometer of the ecological health of the lake. The lotus stems are collected through an arduous exercise as they are considered a delicacy. Traditionally cooked with freshwater fish, the stems are a must-have item at weddings in Kashmir. (Text by Peerzada Ashiq) Wular back in the pink Rosy picture: A big lotus in full bloom at the Wular lake in Bandipora district. Lotuses have bloomed again in the freshwater lake, one of the largest in the Indian subcontinent, after nearly three decades. Nothing goes to waste: People on boats collect the weed growing in the Wular lake, located 60 km from Srinagar, to feed their cattle. Walk by the lake: The lake is a crucial habitat along the Central Asian Flyway for migratory geese, ducks, shorebirds, cranes as well as local birds. It attracts 213 waterbird species. Season to flourish: The return of the lotus in the lake has sparked hope among communities as it brings economic benefits. Means of sustenance: A farmer on his boat harvests water chestnuts. Chestnut collection is one of the many activities that sustains families living close to the lake. Lakeside life: Women gathering water chestnuts. Lotus flowers and stems, chestnuts and fish from the lake benefit the local community. Heap of feed: A man on a boat transports a pile of weed from the lake. Farmers use the weed as cattle fodder. Blurred yet distinct: Revived through desilting and conservation efforts, the lake now has lotuses along vast stretches. Sight to behold: With mountains and vast stretches of largely unblemished nature all around, Wular lake is a picture-perfect locale. It is a sprawling lake, but the area fluctuates seasonally.
The Hindu
19-07-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
The summer of '25
Serpentine macadamised roads cut through apple orchards spread over 26,231 hectares of land in the Shopian district in south Kashmir. The famous apple varieties of Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Ambri are at an advanced stage of maturity. They will be harvested in August. This year's extreme weather conditions, however, have posed a rare challenge to farmers in Kashmir, as the Valley is in the throes of a heat spell that is causing rivers and their tributaries to thin down. Bashir Dar, 62, an orchardist wearing a thin cotton shirt and loose trousers, has a towel on his shoulders to wipe the sweat away. Unused to this sort of heat, he and his college-going children set out at first light to tend their orchards in Narapora, in Shopian, 3 kilometres away from home. Erratic showers in the first week of July failed to lift the mood of orchardists grappling with multiple issues, including apple trees getting sunburn, fast multiplication of scab infection, and setting in of deformities in their apple produce. 'Apple produce faced the first phase of deformity in April this year when an unprecedented hailstorm wounded trees badly and hit the blossom too. Now this dry spell and the heatwave are threatening the size and colour of fruit,' says Dar. Usually, the fruit turns deep red and green. At 37.4 degrees Celsius, Kashmir logged the third-highest July temperature since 1946 and the highest since 1953. This was also the hottest June since 1978, with Srinagar in central Kashmir recording 34.6°C, Kupwara in north Kashmir logging 35.9 degrees Celsius, and Kokernag in south Kashmir registering 34 degrees Celsius. Most days of June, the maximum day temperature was between four to seven degrees above normal. The Division of Agrometeorology at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Kashmir (SKUAST-K) has been issuing weekly advisories to farmers in Kashmir to help them tide through the period. One advisory has asked orchardists to paint apple trees white, to reflect the sun. 'Use mulch for moisture conservation and keep a watch for scab and mites as high temperatures may trigger an outbreak,' says another week's advisory. Though Dar has followed the advice and has started to paint the apple tree trunks white, he is worried about the rest of the season. Apples thrive in temperatures below 33°Celsius. Dar has 3 acres of land, with each holding about 1,000 trees. 'We get 10 to 15 kg per tree. I am not sure if we will get the same produce this year,' he says. Kashmir produced 20.56 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of apples in 2024-25, accounting for over 73% of India's total production. 'Apple varieties need 1,000 to 1,500 chilling hours (temperature exposure of below 7°C in winter). A prolonged summer and shrinking winter have reduced the chilling hours,' says Lateef Ahmad, a scientist at the Division of Agrometeorology, SKUAST-K. Of the 2.14 lakh hectares of horticulture land, 1.45 lakh hectares are under apple cultivation in Kashmir. Over 3.5 lakh farmers depend on the produce. It's not just apples; the rice crop, too, is suffering in unprecedented temperatures. Fish farming is also bearing the brunt of the heat. Over 800 people have set up their own trout fish units in Kashmir. 'With streams running low and many tributaries drying up this summer, the raceways where fish are multiplied have also come under stress,' Aqib Khan, a farmer from Kokernag, says. In 2024, J&K's fish production hit a record 28,000 metric tonnes. Kashmir's weather drift Mukhtar Ahmad, Director, Meteorological Department (MeT), Srinagar, warns that another spell of hot and humid weather in Kashmir will set in again from July 11. He says, 'Extended dry spells, with an overall increase in average temperature, resulted in high day and night temperatures in Kashmir in June.' He adds that overcast conditions do not allow the temperature to fall. According to the MeT, a heat wave is declared in a place when the departure is 4.5 degrees Celsius to 6.4 degrees Celsius above normal; a severe heat wave is a departure from normal by over 6.4 degrees Celsius. Kashmir saw both a heat wave and a severe heat wave in June. Many scientists call this year's weather pattern an alarm bell that needs the attention of policymakers to chart the future course of the Valley. Kashmir's temperate weather pattern has generally seen spells of hot weather followed by rain that keeps the day temperature around 30 degrees Celsius. The pattern has seen a change in the past few years, and Dr. Ahmad says the temperature has been steadily rising by 1-1.5 degrees Celsius. 'We are alarmingly shifting from a temperate zone to sub-tropical weather conditions, mimicking the weather of Jammu. It's too early to predict how the weather pattern will play out in the future, but the shift is worrying,' says Mohammad Muslim, an assistant professor at the Department of Environmental Science, University of Kashmir. Particularly concerning are the night temperatures. Srinagar recorded a night temperature of 24.5 degrees Celsius on July 5, which is a departure from the norm of 18.2 degrees Celsius. Pahalgam, a hilly area, saw a 7.6 degrees Celsius rise, recording 20 degrees Celsius on the night of July 5. 'A night temperature hovering around 21-24 degrees Celsius is typical of a tropical climate. The change in the pattern of the Land Use Land Cover (LULC) and the high emissivity from the growing built-up areas, and shrinking green spaces are contributing factors,' says Muslim. Srinagar's minimum temperature for June traditionally has been less than 18 degrees Celsius. Srinagar's drift, more evident than in other parts of the Valley, towards sub-tropical weather conditions is being attributed to fast urbanisation. From 34.53 square kilometres in 2000, Srinagar spread to 60.63 sq. km in 2020, according to SKUAST research data. It said that the area of water bodies was 7.48% in 2000 and was reduced to 5.58% in 2020. Similarly, the extent of vegetation in the city came down from 43.87 sq. km in 2000 to 26.23 sq. km by 2020. From 1.02 sq. km of dense forests in 2000, the city forest reduced to 0.38 sq. km by 2020. Farming's bleak future South Kashmir's Anantnag district is fed by the Kolahoi glacier in summer, a source of the Lidder river that flows into the Jhelum. Daddu canal, which feeds the paddy fields of Dadu, Chek Daddu, Panjpora, and Chek Panjpora, villages in Bijbhera tehsil, saw portions dry up in June. It fuelled rare street protests by farmers. 'Most farmers would depend on this canal,' says Najmu Saqib, a People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader and an environmental activist. While farmers in many other States in India are giving up their traditional occupations and getting government jobs for fixed incomes, that was never the case in Kashmir, he says. There were times farmers would request government officials to reduce the water flow at the source. 'This year, the canal has turned into a desert. People are reeling under drought-like conditions, even impacting their livestock. Many have lost cattle due to a lack of water,' adds Saqib. In the face of street protests, the authorities decided to release water in a phased manner, but there was a whole week when the fields were not watered. Protests over water scarcity are being reported from across the length and breadth of the Valley this summer. Women raised anti-government slogans in Central Kashmir's Budgam and Srinagar, and north Kashmir's Baramulla. Orchardists and farmers in Baramulla's Kreeri and Wagoora lodged their protests against the decrease in water discharge to their fields. Ferozepur nallah, just 5 km from the snow-covered peaks of Gulmarg, once irrigated over 8,750 acres of agricultural land through nine channels. 'This year, it has been overexploited. The irrigation water is being diverted and sucked upstream to supply drinking water, leaving us dry downstream,' says Hassan Wani, a resident of Pattan. The areas affected include Dargam, Tilgam, and Nehalpora, among others. 'Fertile paddy lands in Dargam and surrounding villages are not getting the required water for paddy,' says Wani. He says hundreds of local farmers have been forced to abandon their rice fields due to this irrigation water crisis. 'Many have shifted to less water-intensive crops like apples, out of compulsion,' he adds. The water crisis is likely to hit over 8,375 acres of agricultural land in the region. 'The livelihood of 4 lakh people on this land is impacted. It's not just environmental mismanagement, but an economic disaster,' says Wani. 'Usually, water bodies go dry in winter, and there's plenty in summer because of the melting of snow,' explains Ahmad. About a decade ago, Kashmir would get 70-80% of its precipitation in the form of snow between November and February. 'The snow would replenish glaciers and stay strong till summer. Now, we get precipitation in the form of rain in winter, depleting snow cover on the mountains around the Valley,' he says. Ecological and economic damage Javed Rana, Minister for Public Health Engineering (PHE), Irrigation and Flood Control, says, 'Teams are monitoring canal levels continuously, and efforts are being made to regulate flows and clear silt and obstructions to optimise available water.' However, the Environmental Policy Group (EPG), a non-governmental organisation, accuses the department of 'abrupt and unscientific release of water from the Hokersar Wetland' in north Kashmir's Baramulla district. 'This action has caused the water level, usually maintained at 4 to 5 feet, to drop sharply, leading to the drying up of vast portions of the wetland and inflicting severe ecological damage,' says Faiz Ahmad Bakshi, Convener of the EPG. The immediate consequence of this is a threat to nearly 10,000 breeding birds currently in the wetland. Many of them are newly hatched and lack the ability to fly or migrate to safer habitats. With the wetland drained, these birds now face death by exposure and starvation, marking a distressing ecological crisis. The EPG alleges that water was released to benefit 'encroachers who have illegally cultivated paddy in large parts of the Hokersar Wetland'. Bakshi says, 'Wetlands like Hokersar are not only biodiversity hotspots, but also natural water reservoirs that regulate flow, mitigate floods, and sustain communities through responsible harvesting of nadru (lotus stem), water chestnuts, and other aquatic produce.' He seeks the intervention of J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. National Conference leader Nasir Aslam Wani, and the government spokesperson and adviser to the CM, says Abdullah did assess the situation. 'We faced depletion in groundwater in June. We have to devise a mechanism to harvest rainwater for irrigation. Thankfully, we had a few spells of rain, and there is no serious damage reported to crops.' He says the government is looking at old models of water reservoirs and is seeking expert advice for a plan for the future. A study was conducted by Shakil Ahmad Romshoo, a renowned climatologist and Vice-Chancellor of the Islamic University of Science and Technology. 'The Kolahoi glacier has shrunk by 2.81 square km in the last 51 years, losing an ice volume of 0.30 cubic km. The temperatures are predicted to increase almost 10 times more than those observed during the Last Glacial Maximum (over a period of 20,000 years). The future temperature is predicted to rise between 0.18 degrees Celsius and 0.61 degrees Celsius per decade,' the study warns. Another change in weather patterns is the growing contribution of the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) to annual precipitation. Kashmir receives precipitation of 71.54% from October to May, and the remaining 28.46% of rainfall between June and September. According to MeT data, the ISM's contribution to total rainfall has increased from 23.95% in the 1980-90 period to 30.49% in 2010-2017. 'Monsoon rains bring torrential downpours, which are not steady enough to allow the surface to absorb water for a longer period and prove fruitful for crops,' says Ahmad. The extent to which changing weather patterns are impacting Kashmir is also gauged from people's gardens. 'Most flower saplings like pansy and gazania dried up this year,' says Rashid Khan, a resident of Lal Bazaar in Srinagar. 'People this year stopped buying mid-summer saplings like zinnias because of the heatwave,' says Akhtar Mir, a nursery owner from Srinagar's Foreshore area. Edited by Sunalini Mathew
Kuwait Times
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Indo-Pak gunfire triggers terror of past conflict
SRINAGAR: For 10 nights straight, gunfire between Indian and Pakistani soldiers has echoed from the mountains and deep valleys that form the heavily defended de facto border between the nuclear-armed rivals And, each night, it brings back afresh the horror for 50-year-old maize farmer Bashir Dar—the last time the bitter enemies battled across the Line of Control in contested Kashmir, his wife was killed. 'The mortar shell landed right next to my wife—she died instantly', said Dar, describing fighting in 2020 near his mountain village of Balkote, on the Indian side of the dividing line. His home lies less than a mile from Pakistani-controlled territory. 'These days, that moment flashes in my head all the time,' the widower said, holding up a picture of his late wife. 'Every night, I sit huddled with my four children in one room—with an ear to the sounds of gunfire coming from the border.' Relations between the neighbors have plummeted after India accused Pakistan of backing the worst attack on civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir in years, in which a gang of gunmen shot dead 26 men, mostly Hindus. Indian police have issued wanted posters for three men—two Pakistanis and an Indian—accused of carrying out the April 22 attack at Pahalgam. They say they are members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organization. India's army said Sunday that its troops had exchanged gunfire with Pakistani soldiers overnight across the Line of Control in multiple sites, which it says has taken place every night since April 24. The army said 'unprovoked small arms fire' from Pakistan, to which Indian soldiers 'responded promptly and proportionately'. There was no immediate confirmation from Pakistan, but Islamabad—whose military on Saturday said it carried out a 'training launch' of a missile weapons system—has accused India of a 'ceasefire violation'. Rebel groups opposed to Indian rule have waged an insurgency since 1989. Tens of thousands have been killed. Government employee Mansoor Ahmed, 38, took two days off to prepare his bunker he had built in the village, at a cost of some 200,000 rupees ($2,300). 'I cleaned up my bunker and stocked it up for the first time since 2021,' Ahmed said, referring to the year India and Pakistan agreed to a renewed border ceasefire. Many of those without bunkers have already left for safer places like Baramulla, further from the dividing line. 'Six families in my neighborhood left their homes for safety during the last few days,' said truck driver Mohammad Ibrahim, who has stayed with his wife and children. 'They requested us to look after their homes and cattle.' In the villages of Churunda and Tilawari, fearful residents said officials had visited, telling them to check the condition of a few government-constructed community bunkers. 'There are only six bunkers, and each bunker can accommodate a maximum of 15 people,' a young villager told AFP, declining to be named. In Churunda village, there are some 120 families. 'No proper facilities exist in the bunkers, and when it rains, water enters inside. The bunkers have not been built properly,' said the man. 'If war happens, these bunkers will be useless.' AFP reporters saw a community bunker in the village with thick concrete walls and a slab on top. But the floor was covered in runny mud. Residents are fearful, and watch news on their mobile phones constantly. 'We live in constant fear of becoming victims of the conflict,' said a young woman in Tilawari, who declined to be named. 'We want peace,' she said. 'We want to send our children to school and live our lives without fear.' – AFP
Jordan Times
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
India-Pakistan gunfire triggers terror of past conflict
Kashmiri children sit on a bench at a marketplace as an Indian paramilitary soldier keeps guard along a street in Srinagar on May 4, 2025 (AFP photo) BALKOTE, India — For 10 night's straight, gunfire between Indian and Pakistani soldiers has echoed from the mountains and deep valleys that form the heavily defended de facto border between the nuclear-armed rivals. And, each night, it brings back afresh the horror for 50-year-old maize farmer Bashir Dar, the last time the bitter enemies battled across the Line of Control in contested Kashmir, his wife was killed. "The mortar shell landed right next to my wife, she died instantly", said Dar, describing fighting in 2020 near his mountain village of Balkote, on the Indian side of the dividing line. His home lies less than a mile from Pakistani-controlled territory. "These days, that moment flashes in my head all the time," the widower said, holding up a picture of his late wife. "Every night, I sit huddled with my four children in one room -- with an ear to the sounds of gunfire coming from the border." Relations between the neighbours have plummeted after India accused Pakistan of backing the worst attack on civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir in years, in which a gang of gunmen shot dead 26 men, mostly Hindus. Islamabad has rejected the accusations. Indian police have issued wanted posters for three men, two Pakistanis and an Indian , accused of carrying out the April 22 attack at Pahalgam. They say they are members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organisation. Cleaning bunkers India's army said Sunday that its troops had exchanged gunfire with Pakistani soldiers overnight across the Line of Control in multiple sites, which it says has taken place every night since April 24. The army said "unprovoked small arms fire" from Pakistan, to which Indian soldiers "responded promptly and proportionately". There was no immediate confirmation from Pakistan, but Islamabad, whose military on Saturday said it carried out a "training launch" of a missile weapons system , has accused India of a "ceasefire violation". Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947, with both governing part of the disputed territory separately and claiming it in its entirety. Rebel groups opposed to Indian rule have waged an insurgency since 1989. Tens of thousands have been killed. Government employee Mansoor Ahmed, 38, took two days off to prepare his bunker he had built in the village, at a cost of some 200,000 rupees . "I cleaned up my bunker and stocked it up for the first time since 2021," Ahmed said, referring to the year India and Pakistan agreed to a renewed border ceasefire. Many of those without bunkers have already left for safer places like Baramulla, further from the dividing line. "Six families in my neighbourhood left their homes for safety during the last few days," said truck driver Mohammad Ibrahim, who has stayed with his wife and children. "They requested us to look after their homes and cattle." 'No protection' In the villages of Churunda and Tilawari, fearful residents said officials had visited, telling them to check the condition of a few government-constructed community bunkers. "There are only six bunkers, and each bunker can accommodate a maximum of 15 people," a young villager told AFP, declining to be named. In Churunda village, there are some 120 families. "No proper facilities exist in the bunkers, and when it rains, water enters inside. The bunkers have not been built properly," said the man. "If war happens, these bunkers will be useless." AFP reporters saw a community bunker in the village with thick concrete walls and a slab on top. But the floor was covered in runny mud. Residents are fearful, and watch news on their mobile phones constantly. "We live in constant fear of becoming victims of the conflict," said a young woman in Tilawari, who declined to be named. "We want peace," she said. "We want to send our children to school and live our lives without fear."
Arab News
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
India-Pakistan gunfire triggers terror of past conflict
BALKOTE: For 10 nights straight, gunfire between Indian and Pakistani soldiers has echoed from the mountains and deep valleys that form the heavily defended de facto border between the nuclear-armed rivals. And, each night, it brings back afresh the horror for 50-year-old maize farmer Bashir Dar — the last time the bitter enemies battled across the Line of Control in contested Kashmir, his wife was killed. 'The mortar shell landed right next to my wife — she died instantly,' said Dar, describing fighting in 2020 near his mountain village of Balkote, on the Indian side of the dividing line. His home lies less than a mile from Pakistani-controlled territory. 'These days, that moment flashes in my head all the time,' the widower said, holding up a picture of his late wife. 'Every night, I sit huddled with my four children in one room — with an ear to the sounds of gunfire coming from the border.' Relations between the neighbors have plummeted after India accused Pakistan of backing the worst attack on civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir in years, in which a gang of gunmen shot dead 26 men, mostly Hindus. Islamabad has rejected the accusations. Indian police have issued wanted posters for three men — two Pakistanis and an Indian — accused of carrying out the April 22 attack at Pahalgam. They say they are members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organization. India's army said Sunday that its troops had exchanged gunfire with Pakistani soldiers overnight across the Line of Control in multiple sites, which it says has taken place every night since April 24. The army said 'unprovoked small arms fire' from Pakistan, to which Indian soldiers 'responded promptly and proportionately.' There was no immediate confirmation from Pakistan, but Islamabad — whose military on Saturday said it carried out a 'training launch' of a missile weapons system — has accused India of a 'ceasefire violation.' Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947, with both governing part of the disputed territory separately and claiming it in its entirety. Rebel groups opposed to Indian rule have waged an insurgency since 1989. Tens of thousands have been killed. Government employee Mansoor Ahmed, 38, took two days off to prepare his bunker he had built in the village, at a cost of some 200,000 rupees ($2,300). 'I cleaned up my bunker and stocked it up for the first time since 2021,' Ahmed said, referring to the year India and Pakistan agreed to a renewed border ceasefire. Many of those without bunkers have already left for safer places like Baramulla, further from the dividing line. 'Six families in my neighborhood left their homes for safety during the last few days,' said truck driver Mohammad Ibrahim, who has stayed with his wife and children. 'They requested us to look after their homes and cattle.' In the villages of Churunda and Tilawari, fearful residents said officials had visited, telling them to check the condition of a few government-constructed community bunkers. 'There are only six bunkers, and each bunker can accommodate a maximum of 15 people,' a young villager told AFP, declining to be named. In Churunda village, there are some 120 families. 'No proper facilities exist in the bunkers, and when it rains, water enters inside. The bunkers have not been built properly,' said the man. 'If war happens, these bunkers will be useless.' AFP reporters saw a community bunker in the village with thick concrete walls and a slab on top. But the floor was covered in runny mud. Residents are fearful, and watch news on their mobile phones constantly. 'We live in constant fear of becoming victims of the conflict,' said a young woman in Tilawari, who declined to be named. 'We want peace,' she said. 'We want to send our children to school and live our lives without fear.'
