All pic credits: Basit Zargar
By Srimoyee Chowdhury 24 July 2025
Wular Lake’s pink comeback Nestled in North Kashmir, near Bandipora and Sopore, Wular Lake is making headlines again — this time, for all the right reasons. After decades, it's once more blooming with pink lotus flowers, a stunning sight locals haven’t seen since the early 1990s.
The bloom that once vanished Back in 1992, catastrophic floods buried much of Wular’s lakebed under layers of thick silt. The lotus, once widespread, disappeared, along with vital aquatic plant life and livelihoods tied to it.
A restoration effort in motion Since 2020, the Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA) has launched an ambitious revival project. Through dredging and desilting, they've cleared over 7.9 million cubic metres of silt, which is enough to fill over 3,000 Olympic-size swimming pools!
The lotus rises again To everyone’s surprise, lotus plants began sprouting on their own in newly cleared zones. This year, conservationists added lotus seeds to accelerate growth and the results are stunning.
Nature’s pink canvas Near Garoora village, about 57 km from Srinagar, a two to three square kilometre stretch of the lake is now carpeted in pink. It’s become a magnet for locals and tourists alike.
More than just a pretty sight The stem, called “nadru”, is a beloved culinary delicacy and a seasonal source of income that vanished when the blooms disappeared.
Livelihoods get boosted Now, harvesters are wading neck-deep into the waters again, collecting nadru by hand. A single bundle fetches ₹200 to ₹300, offering families a chance to reclaim income and traditions long lost.
Healing nature The return of the lotus is a symbol of recovery, of nature finding its rhythm again, and of Wular’s aquatic biodiversity slowly making a comeback. Rare migratory birds like the Pallas’s Fish-Eagle, Long-Tailed Duck, and Smew have returned to Wular
Guarding the comeback To protect this fragile revival, authorities are building retention basins to stop silt from feeder streams, improving waste management, and introducing harvesting guidelines to ensure sustainability.
A blooming symbol of hope The lotus bloom in Wular is more than a rare event, it’s a story of restoration and revival. Nature, when nurtured, always finds a way back.