Shallabugh Wetland Reserve is being developed as a major eco-tourism destination in central Kashmi

The Shallabugh Wetland Reserve, Kashmir's largest wildlife-protected wetland, is being developed as a significant ecotourism attraction.The wetland, which was designated a Ramsar site last year, is stretched across an area of 1675 hectares and is located in two districts: Srinagar and Ganderbal, according to authorities. "The wetland has made significant progress recently. The marsh is home to a wide variety of plants and animals. It has a lot of potential to be turned into a significant ecotourism destination, according to J&K Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta, who visited the wetland on Saturday and assessed the restoration efforts being made to restore the wetland's original splendour.

Along with desilting the water body, Mehta emphasised the need of taking all essential precautions to protect both plant and animal life. He also instructed staff to put this attractive location on the tourist map. He remarked, "World-class eco-tourism amenities should be developed here to draw wild life enthusiasts from all over the country." The government is building facilities like designated parking areas, viewing decks and landscaping its surroundings in addition to plans to improve the road leading to the wetland. These facilities will be developed to draw wildlife enthusiasts from across the nation.

The government also has plans for solid waste management, acquiring enough fibreglass boats for visitors, introducing ATVs, promoting homestays in neighbouring villages, zero tolerance for bird hunting and poaching, and promoting sustainable use of wetland resources for the local villagers' improvement of living standards.

Of the 400 water bodies in Kashmir, 25 are significant and well-known, where authorities and bird watchers study birds. The valley now features eight wetlands, with Shalbough in the Ganderbal district of central Kashmir being the largest at 16 square kilometres, followed by Hokersar on the outskirts of the city at 13.5 kilometres, and Hygam in north Kashmir at 9 kilometres. Every year, migrating birds from various central Asian, European, Chinese, and Japanese nations come. The arrival of the birds and their numbers, according to wildlife department experts, have been encouraging during the last four years. Even some uncommon bird species have recently travelled to Kashmir.