Wullar Lake Bandipora Fishers Cooperative Kashmir

Wullar Lake in the Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir is the largest freshwater lake in Asia and a critical wetland for migratory birds, supporting a traditional fishing cooperative economy of Hanji boatmen and fishers who have lived on and around the lake for centuries. Wullar is fed by the Jhelum river and drains into the Wullar River, serving as a natural flood buffer for the Kashmir valley. Hanjis live in shikaras houseboats and produce lotus stems, water chestnuts singhara, and freshwater fish caught by cooperative net-fishing from dugout boats. The Wullar fishers cooperative manages fish seed stocking and harvest coordination. Water hyacinth invasion has severely impacted the lake ecology and traditional livelihoods, with cooperative societies advocating for restoration. Singhara water chestnut cultivation and harvest is a significant cooperative income source for Wullar lake margin communities in October-November.