Latest news with #BashirAhmad
The Guardian
5 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Joy and relief as lotus flowers bloom again in Kashmiri lake after three decades
'We threw seeds into the lake hundreds of times, but nothing grew. It's only now, after the silt was cleared, that we see the flowers again after nearly 33 years,' says Bashir Ahmad, a 65-year-old who fishes in Kashmir's Wular Lake for his livelihood. Wular was once among Asia's largest freshwater lakes. It lies in the Kashmir valley, about 18 miles (30km) north-west of Srinagar, at the foot of the Pir Panjal and Himalayan mountain ranges. It was renowned for its high-quality lotus plants, and sustained the livelihoods of more than 5,000 people who harvested and sold nadru – the edible lotus stem cherished as a delicacy in Kashmiri households and which features in wazwan, the region's traditional multi-course celebratory meals. Then, in 1992, devastating floods hit the region. They choked the lake bed with silt, wiping out the lotus plants and plunging families into poverty. The prized stems gradually disappeared as an ingredient used in local kitchens. Over the next three decades, the condition of the lake – designated as a Ramsar wetland of international importance since 1990 – worsened, Bashir says. Parts were turned into dumping grounds and its area was drastically reduced. While in 1911 it spanned 217 sq km (84 sq miles), with 58 sq km of marshes, by 2007 the lake had shrunk by nearly two-thirds to cover just 86 sq km, according to the Jammu and Kashmir regional government. An official survey blames the shrinkage largely on land being converted for farming, which also led to a 17% decline in the lake's fauna. Expanding willow plantations around the lake increased the buildup of silt. The trees acted as barriers, disrupting the flow of the river and causing sediment to accumulate. In 2020, the Wular Conservation and Management Authority (Wucma) began a de-silting programme to restore the lake's depth and remove waste carried down by the Jhelum River and its tributaries. Officials say more than 7.9m cubic metres of silt have been removed from the lake so far. More than 2 million willows have been uprooted. Five years on, the lotus flowers are blooming again. Ahmad, whose four brothers also depend on the lake for their livelihood, says that seeing the lotus bloom again feels like a dream come true. 'We had lost all hope that it would ever return. Some in our community even took up other work, like labouring, to survive. But we waited,' he says. 'Our elders used to collect lotus stems from the lake and sell them in various markets across the valley, especially during special occasions,' he says. 'After the lotus disappeared, they turned to fishing, but that didn't prove as sustainable. The return of the lotus has brought back hope.' Ahmad's brother, Mohammad Fayaz Dar, says that after the lotus stems disappeared, nadru also gradually vanished from local diets. 'But now, we believe it will be revived completely,' he says. The dishes made with it, Dar adds, hold deep cultural significance for Kashmiri families: 'Lotus stem connects our food to the land. Its absence changed menus. 'Now that it's back, we're preparing dishes the way our grandmothers did – slow, simple, and full of memory,' said Tavir Ahmad, a chef in a Kashmir market. Wucma officials said the revival of the lotus would help boost the local economy, which was otherwise on the verge of collapse. 'It's public property, but people need to take care of it,' said Showket Ahmad, a Wucma employee. He says that although lotus stems had not been visible in the lake for years, the roots had probably remained dormant – buried under layers of silt. 'After we cleared silt from specific areas, lotus plants started re-emerging,' he says. Historically, the lake has sustained fishing communities and harvesters of water chestnuts. It remains a critical habitat for migratory birds, including the Siberian crane. 'This is not just the revival of a plant, it's the resurrection of a cultural ecosystem,' said Meera Sharma, a Delhi-based environmentalist. 'When nature heals, it revives everything it once nurtured – livelihoods, traditions, biodiversity. 'The return of the lotus in Wular is a profound reminder that environmental restoration isn't just about aesthetics or data points; it's about restoring human connection with the land,' she says. 'Seeing these flowers bloom again after decades is like watching history breathe.' Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow the biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield in the Guardian app for more nature coverage
The Guardian
6 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Joy and relief as lotus flowers bloom again in Kashmiri lake after three decades
'We threw seeds into the lake hundreds of times, but nothing grew. It's only now, after the silt was cleared, that we see the flowers again after nearly 33 years,' says Bashir Ahmad, a 65-year-old who fishes in Kashmir's Wular Lake for his livelihood. Wular was once among Asia's largest freshwater lakes. It lies in the Kashmir valley, about 18 miles (30km) north-west of Srinagar, at the foot of the Pir Panjal and Himalayan mountain ranges. It was renowned for its high-quality lotus plants, and sustained the livelihoods of more than 5,000 people who harvested and sold nadru – the edible lotus stem cherished as a delicacy in Kashmiri households and which features in wazwan, the region's traditional multi-course celebratory meals. Then, in 1992, devastating floods hit the region. They choked the lake bed with silt, wiping out the lotus plants and plunging families into poverty. The prized stems gradually disappeared as an ingredient used in local kitchens. Over the next three decades, the condition of the lake – designated as a Ramsar wetland of international importance since 1990 – worsened, Bashir says. Parts were turned into dumping grounds and its area was drastically reduced. While in 1911 it spanned 217 sq km (84 sq miles), with 58 sq km of marshes, by 2007 the lake had shrunk by nearly two-thirds to cover just 86 sq km, according to the Jammu and Kashmir regional government. An official survey blames the shrinkage largely on land being converted for farming, which also led to a 17% decline in the lake's fauna. Expanding willow plantations around the lake increased the buildup of silt. The trees acted as barriers, disrupting the flow of the river and causing sediment to accumulate. In 2020, the Wular Conservation and Management Authority (Wucma) began a de-silting programme to restore the lake's depth and remove waste carried down by the Jhelum River and its tributaries. Officials say more than 7.9m cubic metres of silt have been removed from the lake so far. More than 2 million willows have been uprooted. Five years on, the lotus flowers are blooming again. Ahmad, whose four brothers also depend on the lake for their livelihood, says that seeing the lotus bloom again feels like a dream come true. 'We had lost all hope that it would ever return. Some in our community even took up other work, like labouring, to survive. But we waited,' he says. 'Our elders used to collect lotus stems from the lake and sell them in various markets across the valley, especially during special occasions,' he says. 'After the lotus disappeared, they turned to fishing, but that didn't prove as sustainable. The return of the lotus has brought back hope.' Ahmad's brother, Mohammad Fayaz Dar, says that after the lotus stems disappeared, nadru also gradually vanished from local diets. 'But now, we believe it will be revived completely,' he says. The dishes made with it, Dar adds, hold deep cultural significance for Kashmiri families: 'Lotus stem connects our food to the land. Its absence changed menus. 'Now that it's back, we're preparing dishes the way our grandmothers did – slow, simple, and full of memory,' said Tavir Ahmad, a chef in a Kashmir market. Wucma officials said the revival of the lotus would help boost the local economy, which was otherwise on the verge of collapse. 'It's public property, but people need to take care of it,' said Showket Ahmad, a Wucma employee. He says that although lotus stems had not been visible in the lake for years, the roots had probably remained dormant – buried under layers of silt. 'After we cleared silt from specific areas, lotus plants started re-emerging,' he says. Historically, the lake has sustained fishing communities and harvesters of water chestnuts. It remains a critical habitat for migratory birds, including the Siberian crane. 'This is not just the revival of a plant, it's the resurrection of a cultural ecosystem,' said Meera Sharma, a Delhi-based environmentalist. 'When nature heals, it revives everything it once nurtured – livelihoods, traditions, biodiversity. 'The return of the lotus in Wular is a profound reminder that environmental restoration isn't just about aesthetics or data points; it's about restoring human connection with the land,' she says. 'Seeing these flowers bloom again after decades is like watching history breathe.' Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow the biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield in the Guardian app for more nature coverage
News18
16-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
Pahalgam Probe: Terrorists Fired In Air While Fleeing; ISI Likely Used New Module For Secrecy
Last Updated: A new witness has reportedly told NIA that he was asked to recite the Kalma and was possibly spared because his accent confirmed he was a local. The NIA investigation into the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack is gaining momentum. Following the custodial interrogation of two harbourers, Parvaiz Ahmed and Bashir Ahmad, the NIA has now identified a local witness who saw the terrorists while they were escaping. 'The terrorists fired in the air, possibly to deter anyone from helping. This is when the witness encountered them," a senior security official told CNN-News18. According to officials, the NIA has recovered empty cartridges from the location where the firing took place, supporting the witness's account. The witness stated that he was asked to recite the Kalma and was possibly spared because his accent confirmed he was a local. Many survivors have reported that the terrorists used Kalma recitation for religious profiling before killing 26 people in Baisaran. Officials have corroborated the testimonies of the witness and the harbourers, successfully identifying the terrorists. One of the three has been identified as Hashim Musa, a former Pakistani army regular. Musa is suspected of masterminding the Sonmarg Z Modh tunnel attack, which resulted in the deaths of six labourers and a doctor. 'The other two have no previous records and appear to have infiltrated recently for the Pahalgam attack," an intelligence agency official stated. Agencies have also found no prior records for the harbourers, Parvaiz Ahmed and Bashir Ahmad, suspecting that this was a deliberate ISI strategy to create a new module with minimal involvement of local Kashmiri terrorists or known Over Ground Workers (OGWs). Officials believe this was done to maintain top-level secrecy. Initially, it was suspected that three to five terrorists carried out the Baisaran Valley attack, but so far, the NIA has identified three Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, all Pakistani nationals. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
07-07-2025
- News18
Pahalgam Attack: Lashkar Aides Who Helped Pakistani Terrorists Sent To 10-Day NIA Remand
Last Updated: NIA gets 10-day custody of Lashkar terror associates. Two Lashkar-e-Taiba associates, Parvaiz Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad, were sent to 10-day NIA remand till July 16 on Monday, for helping three Pakistani terrorists carry out the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
BBC News
04-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Di coming of ADC don mark di end of PDP?
Di wave of di new opposition coalition for Nigeria politics now still dey very strong as di movement dey gather more steam and more members dey join. Many Nigerians on social media don describe di joinbodi as a masterstroke move by di opposition, but some political sabi pipo say di ruling party still dey hold plenty aces for dis card game. However, di kwesion wey some pipo dey ask be say, shey dis coalition go be di beginning of end for di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)? Bashir Ahmad, a former tok-tok pesin for former President Muhammadu Buhari, tok say PDP don dey buried as dis ADC movement happen. Also, Deji Adeyanju wey be lawyer and activist make similar comments as e say "PDP don finally die". Di PDP na bifor-bifor largest political party for Africa. Between 1999 and 2015 di party bin hold sway and one of dia former National Chairman - Vincent Ogbulafor -even boast in 2008 say dem go rule Nigeria for 60 years. But only less dan 10 years afta dem comot for power, di party don drown by internal crisis, and pipo say dis joinbodi movement wit di African Democratic Congress na di last straw wey go break di camel back for PDP. But na true? Kabiru Danladi, a lecturer for Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, tok say PDP don stop to function as a viable political party, wetin dey move around na im carcass. "Today, wetin remain of di PDP na just patchwork of political actors wey dey retreat. Guvnors dey defect. Dia 2023 vice-presidential candidate (Ifeanyi Okowa) don walk away. State-level structures dey hollow. Internal leadership don fracture, and dem no get any unifying idea to rally around. Wetin all of dis dey tell us? Di PDP no dey for decline. E don dey defunct," oga Kabiru tok for im opinion piece in April. 'Institutions no dey die' BBC Pidgin ask dis question to Kola Ologbondiyan wey be di bifor-bifor tok-tok pesin for di PDP and e ansa in one sentence say: "Di PDP na strong institution, and institutions no dey die." Oga Olagbondiyan explain say di party fit dey wounded sake of di big big names wey don comot, but dem still get strong members wey fit hold di party strong if dem fix dia internal wahala. True-true, of all di pipo wey join di coalition from di PDP, no sitting guvnor dey dia, and for Nigeria politics, guvnors get ogbonge power. Di PDP guvnors forum bin don agree say dem no go join any coalition or merger, rada dem go welcome any party wey wan come join dem to wrestle power from APC. But since dem make dat decision for April dis year, dem don lose two of dia members - di govnors of Delta and Akwa Ibom States - to di APC, and rumour dey fly say two more PDP guvnors dey for door dey wait to comot. Also, ogbonge PDP oga for Lagos State, Bode George, tok for one TV interview say "di pipo wey think say PDP don die na dreamers". According to oga George, di PDP be like Iroko tree wey be say even if di body fit look dry, "di root stil dey deep and intact". Wetin need to happen na for di members of di party to "come back, close di door, speak some home truths, debate, and unite". Lekan Ige, a political sabi pesin and journalist, agree wit wetin oga Bode George tok. Ige tell BBC Pidgin say di PDP don dey too entrenched for di Nigeria political atmosphere to just die like dat. "Dem still get guvnors, senators, House of Rep members for both di national and state assemblies for di platform, so di party still dey viable," e tok. However, Ige say di PDP must to try to resolve dia inside wahala for dia coming convention. Di tenure of di PDP Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum go expire by di end of di year and di party suppose hold convention to appoint new executives ahead of di election season in 2026/2027. "Seventy-five percent of di internal problem wey di PDP dey face now go dey solved if dem hold di convention. So dem must try dia best to do di convention, elect new leaders, and from dia, I dey sure say dem go fit pick up di pieces of wetin remain for di party" Lekan Ige tok.
