Amid a punishing late-autumn chill, Naseer Ahmad, a fisherman from north Kashmir’s Bandipora area, set out to fish in Wular Lake only to be shocked by the sight of dozens of dead fish floating belly up on the surface.

“Fish have been dying in the lake for the past 10 days,” said Ahmad, who is also the organiser of Wular Fishermen Association.

Nestled at the foothills of Harmukh mountain, Wular Lake is India’s largest freshwater lake and the second largest in Asia. Once known for its thriving aquatic life, the lake is home to 56 bird species, 39 fish species, and more than 20 varieties of aquatic plants

Over the past several days, large numbers of snow trout or Kashir Gaad, the most prized fish species in Wular and Jehlum Lake, have been found dead along their shores and shallow stretche

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