The long, crunchy edible stem of the lotus plant – is an essential part of Kashmiri cuisine and is always in high demand. Harvesting nadru in winter is one of the toughest jobs, as farmers spend hours standing waist-deep in freezing water, bending repeatedly to pull the stems out from thick, muddy beds.
Farmers in the Sangam water bodies, traditionally one of the richest regions for lotus stem cultivation are not just battling the winter chill but also grappling with lower yields.
The reason, they point out, is reduced water flow from the Sind River, which enters the region from Ganderbal.
Lower yields should have pushed up prices, but farmers say that hasn't happened either, adding to their woes. The shrinking of Ganderbal's water channels is a worrying trend according to environmentalists, which could potentially threaten the very survival of nadru cultivation in the region. And if that happens, it would take away a major livelihood source for farmers in Kashmir.
