Shopian’s river Snagloo chokes under garbage, rotting apples

Shopian, Nov 9: Once celebrated for its crystal-clear waters and scenic beauty, the River Snagloo in south Kashmir’s Shopian district is now gasping for life, choked by heaps of garbage and decaying apples dumped along its course.

Locals say the river, which flows through the heart of the town, has turned into an open dumping site this autumn as fruit growers struggling with spoiled produce discarded large quantities of rotten apples directly into the water.

“The river was once so clean that people believed its water had healing properties. Today, it’s filled with filth and the stench of rotting fruit,” said Basharat Ahmad, a resident.

Residents warn that the continued dumping of waste could severely affect the town’s drainage and groundwater systems. “The waste is blocking the natural flow, causing foul smell and risking contamination of nearby wells and streams,” said a group of concerned citizens.

They also blamed unregulated construction and poor civic management for the crisis. “Pipelines have been laid right through the river, narrowing its width and disturbing its natural course. In the absence of cleaning or monitoring, people have started throwing household garbage into it too,” they said.

Local residents have urged the district administration and the Horticulture Department to immediately launch a comprehensive cleanup drive and penalise those dumping waste into the river.