Srinagar, May 1 -- Wular Lake, the largest freshwater lake in India and among Asia's most significant wetlands, has long been a mirror of Kashmir's ecological destiny. Once sprawling and majestic, it became a victim of neglect, siltation, and invasive willow plantations that throttled its hydrology and shrank its horizons. Communities that depended on its waters; fisherfolk casting nets, women harvesting lotus stems and water chestnuts, families eking out livelihoods from its bounty; watched helplessly as their earnings dwindled and their grievances went unheard. The degradation of Wular was not just environmental damage; it was a collective wound inflicted on culture, economy and survival.

The revival now underway is both monumental and...