Bandipora, Feb 09(KNS): The five-day Wular Bird Festival began on Monday along the banks of Asia’s largest freshwater lake in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, with authorities projecting the event as a major initiative to promote bird conservation and eco-tourism.

 

The festival was inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner Bandipora Indu Kanwal Chib, JKAS, in the presence of officials from the Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCUMA), environmental experts, students, and tourism stakeholders. Officials said the programme aims to raise awareness about migratory birds, protect the fragile ecosystem of Wular Lake, and generate sustainable livelihood opportunities for local communities.

 

Addressing the gathering, the Deputy Commissioner described Wular as a vital ecological asset and stressed the need for community participation in its preservation. WUCUMA officials said the festival will feature bird walks, awareness drives, exhibitions, and cultural programmes during its five-day duration.

 

However, local stakeholders, including trained bird watchers and fishermen, alleged that the communities living around Wular Lake have been systematically sidelined, with promised employment and participation remaining largely unfulfilled.

 

“Outsiders are brought in for surveys and programmes, while trained youths from Wular villages are ignored,” said Showket Ahmad, a trained bird watcher. He said he was among nearly 20 youths trained by WUCUMA in 2020, but added that none of them were subsequently engaged in conservation or monitoring activities.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

 

Another trained youth, Manzoor Ahmad of Zurimanz, Bandipora, said locals who grew up around the lake possess first-hand knowledge of its birds and biodiversity. “We know Wular better than anyone, yet we are not given any role,” he said, adding that the fishing community suffers the most as the lake continues to degrade.

 

Rayees Ahmad, another trained bird watcher, said authorities have failed to contact them since the completion of their training. “We were promised work in every conservation project, but we are only used for photographs,” he alleged.

 

Fishermen from nearby villages also voiced concern, saying they are invited to programmes for symbolic participation but excluded from decision-making. “Policies are framed without consulting those whose survival depends on Wular,” said a fisherman from Saderkoot Bala.

 

Rejecting the allegations, WUCUMA Coordinator Altaf Ahmad said community involvement remains a priority and that eco-tourism initiatives are being expanded in a phased manner. Responding to queries regarding bird watchers trained in 2020, he said he had no knowledge of the programme but assured that, if such training had been conducted, steps would be taken to involve them in future activities.

 

Residents, meanwhile, said that conservation efforts at Wular would remain incomplete unless local communities are meaningfully involved beyond festivals, through sustained employment and participation in the lake’s protection.(KNS)