Dal Lake’s weed problem finds an unlikely craft fix

Srinagar, a city in Kashmir, is home to the famous Dal Lake, known for its floating gardens, houseboats, and a mesmerizing Himalayan backdrop. The lake has attracted numerous visitors, including Beatles guitarist George Harrison in 1966, who met sitar maestro Ravi Shankar while staying on a houseboat. However, the lake has been grappling with a weed problem, with authorities regularly removing aquatic weeds to maintain clear waterways.

Simran Irshad, a 35-year-old Kashmiri artisan, has found an unlikely solution to the weed issue by incorporating them into her centuries-old craft of papier-mache. This traditional art form, rooted in Persian craftsmanship, is renowned for its brightly painted boxes, trays, ornaments, and Christmas decorations, adorned with intricate floral, bird, and paisley motifs.

Irshad sought a more affordable and locally available material to address the rising cost of paper, which had made the traditional papier-mache technique increasingly expensive. After months of experimentation, she discovered that dried and pulverized weeds, mixed with recycled paper pulp and a binding agent, formed a durable and cost-effective substitute.

For the past 100 years, the papier-mache craft has been made using only paper. Irshad believes that utilizing the lake weeds can not only increase production but also make the craft more durable and affordable. To collect the weeds, she uses a boat, dries and processes them in her workshop, and has found that lake weeds, with their higher moisture content, are most suitable for the craft.

Irshad has trained around 50 women in making paper products using the weed-based technique, with 15 currently working with her. She aspires to expand the initiative but acknowledges that more support is needed to provide employment opportunities for additional women.