Srinagar, April 12 -- To revive the ecological health of Wular Lake-a Ramsar site and Asia's second-largest freshwater lake-authorities have successfully cleared silt from a 5-km stretch and removed 1.31 lakh willow trees.

Officials said that nearly 78.43 lakh cubic metres of silt have been dredged to reclaim the lake area and enhance water-holding capacity. "Protection bunds have been strengthened along about 15 km of vulnerable stretches to prevent encroachments and provide flood buffering," an official of the Wular Conservation and Management Authority said.

He said the eco-restoration drive is supported by infrastructure development, including a 2.5-km non-motorable walkway at Banyari-SK Payeen featuring cycling tracks and viewing p...