Kashmir’s water crisis deepens

Baramulla, Dec 21: Kashmir is staring at a deepening water crisis as prolonged dry weather, freezing gravity heads, and depleting water resources challenge the operational systems of the Jal Shakti Department.

The officials of the Jal Shakti Department are expressing grave concerns over the situation, as the supply of drinking water is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain.

A senior official of the Jal Shakti Department in north Kashmir said, “The frozen gravity heads and depleting water resources due to the ongoing dry spell and intense cold wave are creating enormous difficulties for us.”

He said that there is a need for a respite from the cold wave.

“Precipitation is crucial for stabilising the water distribution system,” the official said.

In the Baramulla district, the intensified cold wave has frozen critical gravity heads, including those at Hajibal Gulmarg, Drang Stream, Kalas, and Botipathri.

The freezing conditions have disrupted the water distribution network, leaving many areas without a stable water supply.

Despite working in adverse conditions with limited resources, the Jal Shakti Department field staff continued their efforts to break the ice and keep the water flowing.

However, their challenges are mounting.

The field staff is working despite a lack of proper gear like gloves, jackets, and sturdy shoes.

“The situation is worsening by the day, but our teams are doing everything they can,” an official said.

Adding to the crisis is the drastically reduced water level in the River Jhelum, its tributaries, and various streams that serve as primary water sources for the area.

Many streams have dried up entirely, leaving the Jal Shakti Department grappling with unprecedented challenges.

Superintending Engineer, Jal Shakti Department, Baramulla, Ajaz Ahmad said, “The water level in the Jhelum and other streams has severely reduced, impacting our operations.”

He said that the frozen gravity heads and dry water bodies have created a crisis.

“We are hopeful that the situation will improve once the cold wave subsides and the dry spell ends,” Ahmad said.

The situation which emerged from the intense cold and dry spell can be gauged from the fact that the River Jhelum in Baramulla town which is the main source of tap water to a population of around 1 lakh people has reduced into a stream.

In the middle of the River Jhelum, the surface can be seen, indicating the level of water depletion in the river.

A similar scene can be witnessed at Nallah Pohru, an important tributary of the River Jhelum at Rafiabad, which has almost dried up.

The dry spell and cold wave have already taken a toll on the common people as scores of water pipes have frozen across the district as a result of which, people in Baramulla are confronting an adverse situation.

For Shakeela, a resident of Tangmarg village, the frozen water pipes in her house forced her to walk 2 km to fetch water from the functional spring in the area.

“I am not alone fetching water from this spring. Scores of other women to fetch water from here for the last few days as water pipelines have frozen in our houses. We are eagerly waiting for the end of this dry spell,” she said.