Srinagar, July 12 -- Wular Lake is the second largest freshwater lake in Asia that stretches across 200 square kilometres from the foothills of the Haramukh mountain range in Bandipora district to Sopore town in Baramulla. The return of lotus vegetation is being viewed by residents and officials as a major ecological and cultural comeback.

"This is nothing short of a miracle," Abdul Hameed, a local resident toldPTI.

"We used to disperse seeds ourselves, but it never worked because of the silt. The lake had lost its capacity to support lotus growth."

The 1992 floods had choked Wular Lake with silt, severely degrading its ecosystem. Over time, the thick sediment buried the root structures of lotus plants, affecting the lake's ecology and...