The Wular Fisherfolk Union and the Nature Conservation Alliance (NCA) have raised an alarm over the accelerating ecological degradation of the Jhelum River and Wular Lake, warning that without immediate and decisive intervention, these vital water bodies risk losing both their biological vitality and socio-economic significance.
In a joint statement, the two organizations condemned the persistent governmental apathy and institutional neglect that have pushed this once-thriving aquatic ecosystem, on which the livelihood of dozens of fishing villages depends, to the brink of collapse. The recent mass mortality of snow trout across several stretches of the Jhelum River has further deepened fears among environmental experts and local communities. Once regarded as a symbol of Kashmir’s pristine aquatic heritage, the snow trout population is now rapidly dwindling, driven by unchecked pollution, illegal sand extraction, and large-scale habitat disruption.
Despite widespread concern, the Fisheries Department has yet to issue a scientific assessment or transparent explanation of the incident—an omission that, according to observers, has severely eroded public trust. “When fish start dying silently, it is not merely an environmental loss; it signifies the slow death of our culture, heritage, and livelihood,” lamented Ghulam Hassan Butt, president of the Wular Fisherfolk Union.
Adding to the crisis is the rampant practice of electrofishing, locally known as “current maarna,” which has become alarmingly prevalent in both the Jhelum and Wular. This destructive method indiscriminately kills adult fish along with eggs and fry, decimating the natural breeding cycle. Describing the practice as “eco-terrorism,” Dr. Sheikh Ghulam Rasool, a noted environmentalist and NCA convener, asserted that such acts represent “a crime not only against nature but against the very communities whose existence is intertwined with these waters.” He urged authorities to confiscate the illegal equipment and prosecute those responsible to safeguard the biodiversity of the region.
Meanwhile, unregulated encroachments and the obstruction caused by dams have drastically altered the hydrological balance of Wular Lake. Sedimentation, restricted fish movement, and the progressive shrinking of the lake’s area have jeopardized its survival. The Fisherfolk Union denounced these intrusions as blatant violations of environmental law and “a direct assault on the economic dignity of hundreds of families.”
Both organizations have urged the District Administration Bandipora, WUCMA, and the Fisheries Department to treat the crisis as more than an administrative concern, calling it a humanitarian and ecological emergency. Their demands include an independent scientific investigation into the snow trout deaths, an immediate crackdown on electrofishing, and the complete removal of all illegal encroachments choking the lake’s natural flow.
As Dr. Rasool poignantly remarked, “The death of Wular is not the death of a lake; it is the demise of a civilization. Wular is not a wasteland; it is a living heritage that demands justice, restoration, and protection.”
