Fri Aug 01 01:30:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the text and a rewritten news article based on it:
**Summary:**
The article discusses the challenges faced by fishermen in Kashmir’s Anchar and Wular Lakes due to the shrinking size and deteriorating condition of the lakes. It highlights the traditional fishing methods used, the importance of these lakes to the local communities’ livelihoods, and the threats posed by encroachment and environmental degradation. While government initiatives are underway, progress is slow. Despite the challenges, fishermen continue their work, and local enterprises prepare traditional fish delicacies, catering to customers across the region.
**News Article:**
**Kashmir’s Lakes in Crisis: Fishermen Struggle as Anchar and Wular Lakes Shrink**
**Srinagar, August 1, 2025** – The picturesque Anchar and Wular Lakes in Kashmir, vital sources of livelihood for local communities, are facing an environmental crisis as they continue to shrink due to encroachment and pollution, threatening the traditional fishing industry.
Fishermen like Abid Dar, who practices the unique “Tchay gaadi” or shadow fishing on Anchar Lake, face increasing difficulty navigating the icy waters and finding fish as the lake has dwindled from 19.4 sq.km to just 6.8 sq.km in the past century. Similarly, Manzoor Din on Wular Lake struggles to locate warmer pools where fish congregate during the harsh winter months. Wular Lake has shrunk dramatically from 217.8 sq.km to 58 sq.km in the same period.
These lakes are home to several fish species, including mirror carp, snow trout, and common carp, crucial for the local economy and cuisine. The article details the impact of changing environmental conditions on the fishing industry, with fishermen now finding it difficult to earn a livelihood on the lake.
The shrinking lakes are also a result of encroachment for housing and agriculture. While the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has urged the Jammu & Kashmir government to take action, including wastewater treatment, shoreline protection, and de-silting, implementation has been slow.
Despite these challenges, the communities dependent on the lakes persevere. Local enterprises like “Wular Fish for All,” run by Shazia Shuaib, continue to thrive, delivering traditional Kashmiri fish delicacies across the region, prepared with local spices and cooked on firewood. This indicates the lakes importance to the economy of the area, even with the threat the lakes are facing. The fish preparations and delicacies are shipped as far as Jammu.
The future of Anchar and Wular Lakes and the livelihoods of those who depend on them hangs in the balance, requiring urgent and effective action to reverse the damage and preserve these invaluable natural resources.
First Piper 