<span style="color: #222222;">In a bid to conserve the country’s largest freshwater body, Wular Lake, in Bandipora district of North Kashmir, the local administration has successfully cleared silt from three square kilometres of its area. As a result, the water retention capacity of the lake has increased.<br />”<br />”This portion of the lake had turned into a solid mass of land. Now, due to a massive dredging operation, the de-silted area has become a vast expanse of water. District Magistrate, Dr. Owais Ahmad, termed it as a major achievement.<br />”&nbsp;<br />”AIR correspondent reports that Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA) is conducting the de-silting operation.<br />”<br />”The estimated cost of the project to clear the 27-square kilometre critically silted part of the lake is 1,600 crore rupees. The total area of the lake is 200 square kilometres covering almost 24 kilometre in length and 10 kilometre in breadth.<br />”<br />”The lake is important in the hydrographic system of the Kashmir Valley as it helps in flood mitigation. Wular Lake attracts a large number of tourists from across the globe.<br />”<br />”It is famous for its finest variety of fish, chestnuts and lotus stems, thereby supporting the livelihood of a large population. The lake is also a natural habitat for lakhs of migratory birds.</span><br />