Fishing in Kashmir, beneath the ice sheaths
Abid Dar, 35, a fisherman, reaches the shores of Anchar Lake at 10.30 a.m. 'This is the time it becomes a little easy to break the ice and navigate the lake in the shikara [a small, narrow wooden boat]. I have tried starting my day earlier but the oar gets damaged by the thick layer of ice,' he explains. Tchay gaadi or shadow fishing, a traditional form of fishing in Kashmir is specifically associated with Anchar Lake in the Soura area of Srinagar. 'The fishing method borrows its name from shadows created from a moored boat at designated points in the lake where fish make their way in winters. The identification of these pools amidst willows and reeds is a matter of experience,' Dar says.
His colony that resides on the banks of this lake is dependent on it not just for the fish — the lake is home to 15 species that include mirror carp, western mosquitofish and Chirruh snowtrout — but also water chestnuts, reeds and lotus stems. Many like Dar pile up reeds on their shikaras, as the oar breaks the ice to reach marshy patches. They recite certain Koranic verses in Arabic, which fishermen consider powerful enough to ward off evil spells from the fish.
The piles of reeds offer small, temporary shelter and camouflage the shikara. 'You position yourself near the pool and hide in the dark chamber of reeds. As the dark pools attract fish, a harpoon or spear is thrown to capture them,' explains Dar, adding that the light beneath the water helps identify the movement of fish. It is an activity that requires immense patience and skill.
Chasing snow trout
Around 66 km away from Anchar, Manzoor Din, 42, is among approximately 3,000 fishermen living on the shores of the Wular Lake. The lake is home to fish that is relished across the Valley for its taste and size. The lake is home to the common carp and snow trout, which breathes freely in flowing freshwater. At the foothills of Harmukh Mountain, the lake is mainly fed by the Jhelum river, which starts its journey south of Kashmir to reach the northern part of the Valley after covering over 100 km.
Shrinking reality
Unfortunately, the twin lakes of Anchar and Wular tell a tale of neglect and human greed. The lakes, which continue to shrink due to encroachment for habitation and the creation of farm land, pose a threat to fish farming and the livelihood of these communities. While the Anchar Lake saw its size coming down from 19.4 sq.km. to just 6.8 sq.km. over the past century, the Wular lake has shrunk from 217.8 sq.km. to 58 sq.km. in the same period. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in several communications to the J&K government has stressed on measures to safeguard the lake. Officials say that with the joint action of the government and the Centre, the thrust will be on diversion and treatment of wastewater, shoreline protection, lake front development, de-silting and de-weeding, bio-fencing and creating awareness among the locals. But the implementation is so slow that the lakes stare at worsening water quality, harming the fish species.
Hope in Wular The Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu & Kashmir, has already pushed for a comprehensive management action plan for the lake, following a survey in 2022 and this year. The government has identified 30 villages to manage waste and is working on addressing the treatment of 23 major inlets. The proposed ₹386.39 crore plan aims at lake rejuvenation and catchment conservation. Wular lake is home to a total of 12 fish species, including Schizothorax labiatus or the Kunar snow trout, which is in the endangered category.
Journey to Jammu
Meanwhile, fishermen such as Din continue their daily trips with faint optimism. 'I offer my morning prayers before I start fishing with smaller nets. There are places that offer warmer pools and the fish tend to move towards it. The real challenge is to find these small pools in the lake in winters,' Din says. The fish from this lake makes its way to upmarket dinner tables across the Valley. Shazia Shuaib runs an all-women enterprise in Bandipora's Madar area, where they cook traditional fish delicacies. 'We still prepare fish with a mix of collard green, white radish and lotus stem. It has been a delicacy of Kashmiris for centuries. Another popular recipe is fish in thick tomato gravy,' Shuaib says.
The brand, Wular Fish for All, delivers across the region in earthen pots, which carries one to two kilos of fish. 'Last January, we sent fish delicacies to Jammu as well, which is 300 km away. We have customers in most districts of the Valley. Pandits as well as Muslims from Jammu have started ordering fish delicacies in winters,' says Shuaib, adding that these fish preparations can be time-consuming. The Wular fish is still prepared on firewood with mostly sundried local spices, including red chilli and the cockscomb flower or mawal.
peerzada.ashiq@thehindu.co.in
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The Hindu
6 days ago
- The Hindu
Fishing in Kashmir, beneath the ice sheaths
The blinding winter sunlight and sub-zero temperatures of the 40-day harsh winter spell, locally known as 'Chilai Kalan', can turn the surfaces of Srinagar's Anchar Lake and Bandipora's Wular Lake into translucent ice sheaths. They make strolls around the freshwater lakes quite unbearable, especially in the mornings or evenings. Abid Dar, 35, a fisherman, reaches the shores of Anchar Lake at 10.30 a.m. 'This is the time it becomes a little easy to break the ice and navigate the lake in the shikara [a small, narrow wooden boat]. I have tried starting my day earlier but the oar gets damaged by the thick layer of ice,' he explains. Tchay gaadi or shadow fishing, a traditional form of fishing in Kashmir is specifically associated with Anchar Lake in the Soura area of Srinagar. 'The fishing method borrows its name from shadows created from a moored boat at designated points in the lake where fish make their way in winters. The identification of these pools amidst willows and reeds is a matter of experience,' Dar says. His colony that resides on the banks of this lake is dependent on it not just for the fish — the lake is home to 15 species that include mirror carp, western mosquitofish and Chirruh snowtrout — but also water chestnuts, reeds and lotus stems. Many like Dar pile up reeds on their shikaras, as the oar breaks the ice to reach marshy patches. They recite certain Koranic verses in Arabic, which fishermen consider powerful enough to ward off evil spells from the fish. The piles of reeds offer small, temporary shelter and camouflage the shikara. 'You position yourself near the pool and hide in the dark chamber of reeds. As the dark pools attract fish, a harpoon or spear is thrown to capture them,' explains Dar, adding that the light beneath the water helps identify the movement of fish. It is an activity that requires immense patience and skill. Chasing snow trout Around 66 km away from Anchar, Manzoor Din, 42, is among approximately 3,000 fishermen living on the shores of the Wular Lake. The lake is home to fish that is relished across the Valley for its taste and size. The lake is home to the common carp and snow trout, which breathes freely in flowing freshwater. At the foothills of Harmukh Mountain, the lake is mainly fed by the Jhelum river, which starts its journey south of Kashmir to reach the northern part of the Valley after covering over 100 km. Shrinking reality Unfortunately, the twin lakes of Anchar and Wular tell a tale of neglect and human greed. The lakes, which continue to shrink due to encroachment for habitation and the creation of farm land, pose a threat to fish farming and the livelihood of these communities. While the Anchar Lake saw its size coming down from 19.4 to just 6.8 over the past century, the Wular lake has shrunk from 217.8 to 58 in the same period. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in several communications to the J&K government has stressed on measures to safeguard the lake. Officials say that with the joint action of the government and the Centre, the thrust will be on diversion and treatment of wastewater, shoreline protection, lake front development, de-silting and de-weeding, bio-fencing and creating awareness among the locals. But the implementation is so slow that the lakes stare at worsening water quality, harming the fish species. Hope in Wular The Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu & Kashmir, has already pushed for a comprehensive management action plan for the lake, following a survey in 2022 and this year. The government has identified 30 villages to manage waste and is working on addressing the treatment of 23 major inlets. The proposed ₹386.39 crore plan aims at lake rejuvenation and catchment conservation. Wular lake is home to a total of 12 fish species, including Schizothorax labiatus or the Kunar snow trout, which is in the endangered category. Journey to Jammu Meanwhile, fishermen such as Din continue their daily trips with faint optimism. 'I offer my morning prayers before I start fishing with smaller nets. There are places that offer warmer pools and the fish tend to move towards it. The real challenge is to find these small pools in the lake in winters,' Din says. The fish from this lake makes its way to upmarket dinner tables across the Valley. Shazia Shuaib runs an all-women enterprise in Bandipora's Madar area, where they cook traditional fish delicacies. 'We still prepare fish with a mix of collard green, white radish and lotus stem. It has been a delicacy of Kashmiris for centuries. Another popular recipe is fish in thick tomato gravy,' Shuaib says. The brand, Wular Fish for All, delivers across the region in earthen pots, which carries one to two kilos of fish. 'Last January, we sent fish delicacies to Jammu as well, which is 300 km away. We have customers in most districts of the Valley. Pandits as well as Muslims from Jammu have started ordering fish delicacies in winters,' says Shuaib, adding that these fish preparations can be time-consuming. The Wular fish is still prepared on firewood with mostly sundried local spices, including red chilli and the cockscomb flower or mawal.
The Hindu
19-07-2025
- The Hindu
The summer of '25
Serpentine macadamised roads cut through apple orchards spread over 26,231 hectares of land in the Shopian district in south Kashmir. The famous apple varieties of Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Ambri are at an advanced stage of maturity. They will be harvested in August. This year's extreme weather conditions, however, have posed a rare challenge to farmers in Kashmir, as the Valley is in the throes of a heat spell that is causing rivers and their tributaries to thin down. Bashir Dar, 62, an orchardist wearing a thin cotton shirt and loose trousers, has a towel on his shoulders to wipe the sweat away. Unused to this sort of heat, he and his college-going children set out at first light to tend their orchards in Narapora, in Shopian, 3 kilometres away from home. Erratic showers in the first week of July failed to lift the mood of orchardists grappling with multiple issues, including apple trees getting sunburn, fast multiplication of scab infection, and setting in of deformities in their apple produce. 'Apple produce faced the first phase of deformity in April this year when an unprecedented hailstorm wounded trees badly and hit the blossom too. Now this dry spell and the heatwave are threatening the size and colour of fruit,' says Dar. Usually, the fruit turns deep red and green. At 37.4 degrees Celsius, Kashmir logged the third-highest July temperature since 1946 and the highest since 1953. This was also the hottest June since 1978, with Srinagar in central Kashmir recording 34.6°C, Kupwara in north Kashmir logging 35.9 degrees Celsius, and Kokernag in south Kashmir registering 34 degrees Celsius. Most days of June, the maximum day temperature was between four to seven degrees above normal. The Division of Agrometeorology at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Kashmir (SKUAST-K) has been issuing weekly advisories to farmers in Kashmir to help them tide through the period. One advisory has asked orchardists to paint apple trees white, to reflect the sun. 'Use mulch for moisture conservation and keep a watch for scab and mites as high temperatures may trigger an outbreak,' says another week's advisory. Though Dar has followed the advice and has started to paint the apple tree trunks white, he is worried about the rest of the season. Apples thrive in temperatures below 33°Celsius. Dar has 3 acres of land, with each holding about 1,000 trees. 'We get 10 to 15 kg per tree. I am not sure if we will get the same produce this year,' he says. Kashmir produced 20.56 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of apples in 2024-25, accounting for over 73% of India's total production. 'Apple varieties need 1,000 to 1,500 chilling hours (temperature exposure of below 7°C in winter). A prolonged summer and shrinking winter have reduced the chilling hours,' says Lateef Ahmad, a scientist at the Division of Agrometeorology, SKUAST-K. Of the 2.14 lakh hectares of horticulture land, 1.45 lakh hectares are under apple cultivation in Kashmir. Over 3.5 lakh farmers depend on the produce. It's not just apples; the rice crop, too, is suffering in unprecedented temperatures. Fish farming is also bearing the brunt of the heat. Over 800 people have set up their own trout fish units in Kashmir. 'With streams running low and many tributaries drying up this summer, the raceways where fish are multiplied have also come under stress,' Aqib Khan, a farmer from Kokernag, says. In 2024, J&K's fish production hit a record 28,000 metric tonnes. Kashmir's weather drift Mukhtar Ahmad, Director, Meteorological Department (MeT), Srinagar, warns that another spell of hot and humid weather in Kashmir will set in again from July 11. He says, 'Extended dry spells, with an overall increase in average temperature, resulted in high day and night temperatures in Kashmir in June.' He adds that overcast conditions do not allow the temperature to fall. According to the MeT, a heat wave is declared in a place when the departure is 4.5 degrees Celsius to 6.4 degrees Celsius above normal; a severe heat wave is a departure from normal by over 6.4 degrees Celsius. Kashmir saw both a heat wave and a severe heat wave in June. Many scientists call this year's weather pattern an alarm bell that needs the attention of policymakers to chart the future course of the Valley. Kashmir's temperate weather pattern has generally seen spells of hot weather followed by rain that keeps the day temperature around 30 degrees Celsius. The pattern has seen a change in the past few years, and Dr. Ahmad says the temperature has been steadily rising by 1-1.5 degrees Celsius. 'We are alarmingly shifting from a temperate zone to sub-tropical weather conditions, mimicking the weather of Jammu. It's too early to predict how the weather pattern will play out in the future, but the shift is worrying,' says Mohammad Muslim, an assistant professor at the Department of Environmental Science, University of Kashmir. Particularly concerning are the night temperatures. Srinagar recorded a night temperature of 24.5 degrees Celsius on July 5, which is a departure from the norm of 18.2 degrees Celsius. Pahalgam, a hilly area, saw a 7.6 degrees Celsius rise, recording 20 degrees Celsius on the night of July 5. 'A night temperature hovering around 21-24 degrees Celsius is typical of a tropical climate. The change in the pattern of the Land Use Land Cover (LULC) and the high emissivity from the growing built-up areas, and shrinking green spaces are contributing factors,' says Muslim. Srinagar's minimum temperature for June traditionally has been less than 18 degrees Celsius. Srinagar's drift, more evident than in other parts of the Valley, towards sub-tropical weather conditions is being attributed to fast urbanisation. From 34.53 square kilometres in 2000, Srinagar spread to 60.63 sq. km in 2020, according to SKUAST research data. It said that the area of water bodies was 7.48% in 2000 and was reduced to 5.58% in 2020. Similarly, the extent of vegetation in the city came down from 43.87 sq. km in 2000 to 26.23 sq. km by 2020. From 1.02 sq. km of dense forests in 2000, the city forest reduced to 0.38 sq. km by 2020. Farming's bleak future South Kashmir's Anantnag district is fed by the Kolahoi glacier in summer, a source of the Lidder river that flows into the Jhelum. Daddu canal, which feeds the paddy fields of Dadu, Chek Daddu, Panjpora, and Chek Panjpora, villages in Bijbhera tehsil, saw portions dry up in June. It fuelled rare street protests by farmers. 'Most farmers would depend on this canal,' says Najmu Saqib, a People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader and an environmental activist. While farmers in many other States in India are giving up their traditional occupations and getting government jobs for fixed incomes, that was never the case in Kashmir, he says. There were times farmers would request government officials to reduce the water flow at the source. 'This year, the canal has turned into a desert. People are reeling under drought-like conditions, even impacting their livestock. Many have lost cattle due to a lack of water,' adds Saqib. In the face of street protests, the authorities decided to release water in a phased manner, but there was a whole week when the fields were not watered. Protests over water scarcity are being reported from across the length and breadth of the Valley this summer. Women raised anti-government slogans in Central Kashmir's Budgam and Srinagar, and north Kashmir's Baramulla. Orchardists and farmers in Baramulla's Kreeri and Wagoora lodged their protests against the decrease in water discharge to their fields. Ferozepur nallah, just 5 km from the snow-covered peaks of Gulmarg, once irrigated over 8,750 acres of agricultural land through nine channels. 'This year, it has been overexploited. The irrigation water is being diverted and sucked upstream to supply drinking water, leaving us dry downstream,' says Hassan Wani, a resident of Pattan. The areas affected include Dargam, Tilgam, and Nehalpora, among others. 'Fertile paddy lands in Dargam and surrounding villages are not getting the required water for paddy,' says Wani. He says hundreds of local farmers have been forced to abandon their rice fields due to this irrigation water crisis. 'Many have shifted to less water-intensive crops like apples, out of compulsion,' he adds. The water crisis is likely to hit over 8,375 acres of agricultural land in the region. 'The livelihood of 4 lakh people on this land is impacted. It's not just environmental mismanagement, but an economic disaster,' says Wani. 'Usually, water bodies go dry in winter, and there's plenty in summer because of the melting of snow,' explains Ahmad. About a decade ago, Kashmir would get 70-80% of its precipitation in the form of snow between November and February. 'The snow would replenish glaciers and stay strong till summer. Now, we get precipitation in the form of rain in winter, depleting snow cover on the mountains around the Valley,' he says. Ecological and economic damage Javed Rana, Minister for Public Health Engineering (PHE), Irrigation and Flood Control, says, 'Teams are monitoring canal levels continuously, and efforts are being made to regulate flows and clear silt and obstructions to optimise available water.' However, the Environmental Policy Group (EPG), a non-governmental organisation, accuses the department of 'abrupt and unscientific release of water from the Hokersar Wetland' in north Kashmir's Baramulla district. 'This action has caused the water level, usually maintained at 4 to 5 feet, to drop sharply, leading to the drying up of vast portions of the wetland and inflicting severe ecological damage,' says Faiz Ahmad Bakshi, Convener of the EPG. The immediate consequence of this is a threat to nearly 10,000 breeding birds currently in the wetland. Many of them are newly hatched and lack the ability to fly or migrate to safer habitats. With the wetland drained, these birds now face death by exposure and starvation, marking a distressing ecological crisis. The EPG alleges that water was released to benefit 'encroachers who have illegally cultivated paddy in large parts of the Hokersar Wetland'. Bakshi says, 'Wetlands like Hokersar are not only biodiversity hotspots, but also natural water reservoirs that regulate flow, mitigate floods, and sustain communities through responsible harvesting of nadru (lotus stem), water chestnuts, and other aquatic produce.' He seeks the intervention of J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. National Conference leader Nasir Aslam Wani, and the government spokesperson and adviser to the CM, says Abdullah did assess the situation. 'We faced depletion in groundwater in June. We have to devise a mechanism to harvest rainwater for irrigation. Thankfully, we had a few spells of rain, and there is no serious damage reported to crops.' He says the government is looking at old models of water reservoirs and is seeking expert advice for a plan for the future. A study was conducted by Shakil Ahmad Romshoo, a renowned climatologist and Vice-Chancellor of the Islamic University of Science and Technology. 'The Kolahoi glacier has shrunk by 2.81 square km in the last 51 years, losing an ice volume of 0.30 cubic km. The temperatures are predicted to increase almost 10 times more than those observed during the Last Glacial Maximum (over a period of 20,000 years). The future temperature is predicted to rise between 0.18 degrees Celsius and 0.61 degrees Celsius per decade,' the study warns. Another change in weather patterns is the growing contribution of the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) to annual precipitation. Kashmir receives precipitation of 71.54% from October to May, and the remaining 28.46% of rainfall between June and September. According to MeT data, the ISM's contribution to total rainfall has increased from 23.95% in the 1980-90 period to 30.49% in 2010-2017. 'Monsoon rains bring torrential downpours, which are not steady enough to allow the surface to absorb water for a longer period and prove fruitful for crops,' says Ahmad. The extent to which changing weather patterns are impacting Kashmir is also gauged from people's gardens. 'Most flower saplings like pansy and gazania dried up this year,' says Rashid Khan, a resident of Lal Bazaar in Srinagar. 'People this year stopped buying mid-summer saplings like zinnias because of the heatwave,' says Akhtar Mir, a nursery owner from Srinagar's Foreshore area. Edited by Sunalini Mathew
Time of India
08-06-2025
- Time of India
Massive dust storm equivalent the size of 48 US states seen making its way to Florida from space
A dust storm the size of 48 US states is about to hit the east coast of the country this week and that's an awful lot of dust. A huge dust cloud from the Sahara Desert is heading towards the US coast and has already started affecting parts of Florida, according to US media reports. A massive cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert has begun drifting over Florida. Massive storm to hit Florida The storm, identified as a haboob , is part of a massive transatlantic dust plume triggered by collapsing thunderstorms and experts say it's among the largest seen so far this year. Initially detected by satellite as it traveled over 4,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, the phenomenon is now visible from space as it sweeps across the US East and Gulf coasts. It began in Florida and is expected to continue spreading throughout the Southeast in the coming days, reports The Irish Star. Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane expert for AccuWeather, said: "This is the biggest Saharan dust plume that we've seen so far this year. It is very common to see large plumes of Saharan dust coming across the Atlantic toward the United States in June and July. ALSO READ: JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon threatens to fire job-hopping analysts, says 'if you accept a position with another company...' "Many people will notice more colourful sunrises and sunsets, and a milky or hazy look in the sky." Dust suspended about a mile above the ground produces dramatic visual effects — from reddish skies and vibrant sunrises and sunsets to a hazy, milky look during daylight hours. Scientists, including hurricane expert Jason Dunion, have called this event a 'grand-scale haboob,' noting that it covers an area nearly as large as the entire contiguous United States. Live Events Who is impacted by the Saharan dust? Floridians should prepare for the impact of a massive dust storm currently moving up the East Coast. According to LadBible, the storm is expected to strike Florida first before continuing down to the southern coast, potentially affecting a wide stretch of the region. Experts say the scale of this haboob—one of the largest seen this year—is remarkable, with some estimating it could cover an area as vast as the entire contiguous United States. ALSO READ: Coldplay's Chris Martin shocks fans with his gesture amid breakup rumours with Dakota Johnson. Watch video What is a haboob? A haboob is a type of intense dust storm typically caused by the collapse of a thunderstorm in arid or semi-arid regions. The term comes from the Arabic word "habb" meaning "to blow". It was originally used to describe dust storms in the Sudan region of Africa, but it's now commonly used to describe similar events in places like the Sahara Desert, the Middle East, the southwestern United States, and parts of Australia. Although the phenomenon often paints the sky in stunning colors, health experts caution that the fine dust particles can worsen respiratory conditions. Hurricane researcher Jason Dunion noted, 'People with asthma and older adults tend to be more vulnerable during these dust events.' Officials recommend limiting time outdoors and keeping an eye on air quality levels. Another wave of Saharan dust is expected in the coming days, as such outbreaks commonly occur every three to five days during the peak season.
