Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 19: Government today said around 1.35 lakh willow trees have been felled and approximately Rs 31.95 crore generated so far under a Government-approved restoration drive at Wular Lake.
In a written reply to a question of MLA Irshad Rasool Kar in Legislative Assembly, the Government said the removal of willow plantations by the Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA) is part of a “habitat management and lake restoration measure” aimed at restoring the lake’s “hydrological and ecological integrity”.
Responding to concerns about alleged “deforestation activities” in and around Wular Lake, particularly in the Ninglee (Hygam), Gund Jahangir and Kanyari areas, the government said the intervention is being carried out in line with the Comprehensive Management Action Plan (CMAP) for Wular Lake, 2007.
It said the CMAP “explicitly envisages the strategic and phased removal of willows as a key restoration measure” and clarified that the exercise “cannot be construed as deforestation”, as it does not involve diversion or degradation of forest land. Instead, it involves the removal of “invasive or ecologically adverse vegetation to restore the natural wetland character of Wular Lake”.
According to the reply, in the first phase, a total of 1.91 lakh willow trees were identified for removal. Of these, approximately 1.35 lakh trees have already been removed.
However, the Government stressed that the CMAP 2007 “does not envisage blanket removal of all willow plantations” but prescribes “selective, phased and need-based removal aligned with specific lake restoration and habitat management objectives”.
On revenue, the Government said the management interventions have so far generated approximately Rs 31.95 crore. “The entirety” of the amount has been duly deposited under Government receipts in accordance with prescribed financial rules.
Regarding compensatory measures, the reply said it is being conducted in the catchment of Wular Lake in close coordination with the Forest Territorial Wing through approved funding mechanisms, including CAMPA and other schemes. Since the establishment of the Authority in 2012, more than 19 lakh plants have been planted.
It added that in the Bandipora catchment of the lake, an area exceeding 2,900 hectares has been treated through plantation and soil conservation measures since 2012, contributing to slope stabilisation, erosion control and reduction of sediment load entering the lake.
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