JKCSF urges CM to probe Zainkoot Kul’s conversion into drain

Srinagar, Mar 22: The Jammu Kashmir Civil Society Forum (JKCSF) Saturday urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to look into how the Srinagar Municipal Corporation and Flood Control Department had converted the Zainkoot Kul into a sewage drain.

A statement of the JKCSF issued here said that the JKCSF President Qayoom Wani urged immediate intervention by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah into the issue.

He expressed concern over the transformation of the historic Zainkoot Kul into a sewage drain by the SMC. The JKCSF President accused the land mafia and certain government agencies of deliberately shrinking water bodies for commercial purposes, warning that the conversion of Zainkoot Kul was a grave threat to the region’s environmental and historical heritage.

Wani said that Zainkoot Kul was not only of historical and economic significance but also serves as an important tributary to the Hokersar Wetland, a critical site for biodiversity in the region.

He said that the canal had played a key role in irrigation, contributing to the local economy and supporting the agricultural community.

“Water bodies and irrigation canals are being deliberately encroached upon and destroyed for commercial interests,” Wani said.

He warned that if the government does not address this issue, future generations might lose access to the vital water resources that had sustained the region for centuries.

Wani raised pointed questions about the role of the SMC and the Flood Control Department in altering the canal’s function.

He demanded a high-level inquiry into the matter, seeking to know who authorised the transformation of the canal into a sewage drain.

“This is a sensitive issue, and the government must act quickly. If they remain silent, it will be a step towards erasing the history and ecology of the region,” Wani said.

The JKCSF vowed to launch a statewide campaign to identify and combat the encroachment of all tributaries, irrigation kuls, and water bodies across the region.

It called for a comprehensive review of how such encroachments were allowed to take place and called on the CM to initiate a Vigilance probe into the matter to ensure accountability.