Bijbehara: Irrigation, Agriculture, and Kashmir

Soon after receiving the overwhelming mandate from the people of Bijbehara - an extraordinary assembly segment that has produced two Chief Ministers and India’s only Muslim Home Minister - I realigned my priorities in keeping with the unique socio-economic fabric of the region. Nearly 90% of this constituency comprises rural settlements whose livelihoods hinge upon agriculture and horticulture.

In this landscape, irrigation is not just infrastructure - it is lifeblood. Recognizing its centrality, I convened a high-level meeting of officials from the Irrigation, Revenue, Rural Development, and allied departments to assess the condition and challenges of the extensive canal network that sustains our fields.

The Canal System and Command Area

Bijbehara is nourished by three principal canals-Dadi, Nandi, and Awantipora-in addition to 11 medium and over two dozen minor canals. Collectively, these serve nearly 15,000 hectares (3,00,000 kanals) of land, enabling both paddy cultivation and horticulture.

The Dadi Canal, built during the Dogra era, was originally designed to carry 9 cumecs (cubic meters per second) of discharge and irrigate around 11,000 hectares. However, years of siltation, encroachments, and neglect have reduced its capacity to 6.5 cumecs, even as the area under cultivation has expanded through the addition of six Lift Irrigation Schemes (LIS).

The Nandi Canal, which once sustained the rice-rich belts of Homeshalibugh - famously called Kashmir’s “rice bowl”- faces a deeper crisis. The degradation of its headworks in Lassipora (Kulgam), due to rampant, unscientific mining in Yashaw Nallah, has dropped the riverbed by over 2 meters, rendering the canal non-functional during lean seasons. A 3- kilometre artificial detour has been constructed in desperation, but even that fails to draw water during low discharge periods, threatening the very viability of rice cultivation.

Out of eight LISs intended to support the Nandi system, six are now defunct, their intake points left hanging 3 to 4 feet above the receding water levels of the Jhelum, thanks to unregulated mining. This has devastated the tail-end farming communities, leaving them increasingly vulnerable to drought, crop failure, and blast diseases.

The Awantipora Canal and vital minor canals in horticulture-dense Dachnipora, such as Mehand, Bevora, Aadwani, Wopzan, Katoo, Hayaar, and Dupatyar, face similar woes- siltation, reduced discharge, and encroachments-all compounding the region’s agrarian distress.

Field Assessment: Walking the Crisis

In a move rarely undertaken by public representatives, I personally walked 26 kilometers along the Dadi Canal and 22 kilometers along the Nandi Canal, accompanied by senior departmental officers.

The ground reality was shocking.

Several officers admitted it was their first visit to these critical stretches. Key observations included:

1. Severe encroachments choking canal widths 2. Heavy silt deposition slashing discharge capacity
2. Widespread weed infestation and channel blockages
3. Flow disruption in tail-ends, leaving large tracts unirrigated

Disturbingly, the Nandi Canal is now being used as a wastewater drain, collecting sewage and refuse from adjacent habitations. Infrastructure development-roads, bridges, utilities (PDD, PHE)-has further fragmented and degraded the canal system.

Agriculture and Horticulture: Sectors Under Siege

The fallout is evident. In Homeshalibugh, once a surplus rice-producing region, farmers have shifted to maize, unable to rely on consistent irrigation. The latest Agriculture Census shows a shrinking net sown area, and J&K’s food grain self-sufficiency has plummeted.

While J&K’s annual grain requirement exceeds 10 lakh metric tonnes, actual production hovers around 7.5-8 lakh MT, resulting in growing dependency on food imports.

Meanwhile, horticulture-a sector that employs over 35,000 families and contributes 8% to J&K’s GDP-is also buckling under water stress. This is especially true for high-altitude orchards, which were brought under cultivation using now-defunct LIS systems.

Add to this the staggering figure of Rs. 1,200 crore in annual meat imports-a clear indicator of underutilized potential in animal husbandry, poultry, and fisheries. With the right support and irrigation infrastructure, these sectors could be transformed into engines of rural income and food resilience.

A Vision for Agricultural Revival

Kashmir’s survival - economic, cultural, and ecological - depends on the revival of its agrarian foundations. In times of conflict, shutdowns, and supply disruptions, it was the humble farmer and his field that fed Kashmir. We must honour this resilience with investment and innovation.

Key Recommendations:

1. Launch de-siltation and restoration drives for all major and minor canals post-harvest (October-November).
2. Ban and regulate riverbed mining near canal headworks and LIS intake sites.
3. Modernize canal infrastructure through lining, automation, and digital monitoring.
4. Upgrade and realign LIS systems based on real-time hydrological data.
5. Promote rain water harvesting, micro-irrigation, and water shed development at the panchayat Level.
6. Invest in agri-allied sectors like sheep rearing, poultry, and fishery to reduce dependency on imports.

Agriculture in Kashmir is more than an occupation - it is our heritage, identity, and shield against economic shocks. If our irrigation fails, not just crops but entire communities will suffer-economically, nutritionally, and socially.

My commitment remains steadfast: to push for robust infrastructure, policy foresight, and scientific planning so that irrigation regains its rightful place in J&K’s development agenda.

Let us not allow our canals to become relics of a forgotten past. Let them once again flow- with water, with promise, and with the dignity our farmers deserve.

 Dr. S. Bashir Ahmad Veeri is a Member of the Legislative Assembly and an occasional columnist on governance, environment, and rural development.