Srinagar: Abdul Ahad Wani (74), popularly known as 'Plantation Chacha' has achieved yet another feat by growing edible lotus stems in soil instead of water. A resident of Khonmoh village, which is about 18 km from Srinagar city, he had earlier planted several chinar trees in his area, thus earning the nickname.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, he said, "My land was waterlogged, and paddy and maize yield was not good. So I thought of doing something else. Then I consulted experts and started cultivation of lotus stems."
"I planted them in the month of June and the harvest is underway now. Four quintals of lotus stems have been obtained from one Kanal of my land so far and experts estimate that six quintals more will be obtained," he added.
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Shedding light on the process of nadru cultivation in the ground, he said that water is very important for the cultivation of nadru. "There is no water source around here, so I had to dig a tube well. There should be at least 6 inches of water on the land and the water has to be drained out at the time of harvest."
Wani sells his produce at Rs 150 per kg in the local market and claims that ground-grown nadru is more palatable than water-grown nadru. People from far off places visit his house to see this unique way of growing lotus stems in the soil. One such visitor exclaimed, "This is the first time I've seen a nadru grown in the fields. It's very interesting."
Lotus stems (Nadru) found in Dal and Wular lakes here can now be grown in fields too, thanks to Wani's technique and effort. But this is not it, the septuagenarian now plans to grow water chestnuts. Currently, he is experimenting and testing the cultivation of chestnuts to avoid any shortcomings in the future.
