J&K admin to fell 21 lakh trees to ‘reclaim’ Wular Lake

“We have to cut around 21.84 lakh trees inside the lake boundary. There are different versions of what the boundary is, but we are going by the 1911 revenue records, which put the boundary at 130 sq m,” said WUCMA coordinator Mudasir Mehmood. “These trees are not part of the natural ecosystem, they were planted over the years. We will cut them in a phased manner so that the willow market doesn’t crash. In the first phase, we have started cutting two lakh trees,” he said.

In its 2007 report, Wetlands International had suggested removing all trees from inside the lake boundary. Most trees to be cut, fall in Ningli forest range.

“Ningli plantation, currently occupying 27.30 sq km, needs to be removed for enhancement of water holding capacity. The removal would help enhancement of water level by at least one meter, which is critical to restoration of biodiversity,” the report states.

While WUCMA officials cite a draft study by Kashmir University on the impact assessment of Wular restoration as a green signal for felling trees, experts caution that proper studies should be conducted in this regard.

Professor Zafar Reshi, who led the team that conducted the Kashmir University study, said, “It was not our mandate whether trees should be cut or not. Our mandate was to see what would be its effect on the water body. Our study was a rapid one based on secondary data. We were of the opinion that carbon is sequestered in these trees and if they are cut, it would be added to the atmosphere. Secondly, what do they want to achieve? If they cut trees, do they think water will reach there?”

Another study by Wildlife Trust of India, while recommending the cutting of trees, has called for proper studies to assess the impact. The WTI report says that on an average, 33 kg of carbon dioxide is trapped by each tree annually, making it over 72,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide by 21.84 lakh trees.