In Kashmir, very cold weather has caused parts of Wular Lake to freeze. This is affecting fishermen and others who depend on the lake. People say they haven’t seen the lake freeze like this in over 20 years.
In Bandipora, temperatures dropped below minus seven degrees on December 21 and 22. Ghulam Nabi from Zurimaz village said he hasn’t seen Wular Lake freeze like this in decades.
Each morning, the lake freezes from the edge up to 15 to 20 feet out. People have to wait or break the ice to reach the water.
“Boatmen go to the lake later in the day or break the ice to get in,” Ghulam Nabi said. He mentioned that the freezing has been happening for three days straight, which affects their work.
The freezing also impacts those collecting water chestnuts around the lake. The chestnuts stay frozen, making it hard to harvest them. These chestnuts are used to make flour and other foods.
Near Saderkoot Payeen, villagers noticed that parts of the lake fed by the River Jhelum have “frozen thick.” Tahir Aziz, a local, said, “I’m 26, and my parents say the lake hasn’t frozen like this in over 20 years. If the cold continues, the lake might stay frozen for a month.”
The cold has stopped many activities for fishermen, like fishing and picking lotus stems and chestnuts.
Showkat Maqbool, an official with the Wular Conservation and Management Authority, said most of the lake is frozen. But some areas where birds gather have not frozen.
“The ice hasn’t melted for days, affecting movement in the lake,” he said. Maqbool warned that if the cold stays, the lake could remain frozen for a long time.
