The wildlife department of Jammu and Kashmir has seized five punt guns from the wullar-lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia and largest flood basin of Kashmir in north Kashmir.
A senior official of the department said they have seized five punt guns this year from the lake. The punt gun is a large shotgun used for shooting large number of waterfowl.
While the authorities have imposed ban on the use of guns in and around the water body, residents allege that locally made guns are being used by hunters to kill wetland birds with impunity. The lake is spread over 130 square kilometers but in the winter the lake is reduced to 24 square kilometers. The officials say it is very difficult to patrol the lake given its vastness and lake of manpower with the wildlife department.