Snow, rains replenish drying springs in Shopian, alleviate water crisis

Shopian, Feb 28: Incessant rains followed by heavy snowfall revived streams and springs across south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Friday.

The water level in the Rambiara Nallah, which is one of the tributaries of River Jhelum, increased following the recent wet spell.

“It has started gurgling again,” said Muhammad Zaid, a student from Shopian.

Similarly, the precipitation brought many springs across the district back to life, easing concerns about the water crisis, particularly among those living in the upper reaches and outlying villages of the district.

After intense rains of around 24 hours, it began snowing late Thursday afternoon and continued intermittently throughout the night.

While Shopian town received around 7 to 8 inches of snow, the upper reaches including Heerpora, Devpora, Sedow, and parts of Kellar block experienced a snowfall of one-and-a-half feet to 2 feet.

Dobijan and Peer Ki Gali along the heritage Mughal Road received around two-and-a-half feet to three-and-a-half feet of snow.

Executive Engineer, Jal Shakti Department, Abdul Rashed told Greater Kashmir that the wet spell increased the discharge in Rambiara Nallah and various springs in the area.

He said that at least seven water supply schemes rely on the district’s springs.

“If the dry weather conditions had continued for some more weeks, we would have faced a water crisis in some areas,” Rashed said. “However all the schemes are functioning normally.”

He said that the precipitation had alleviated the concerns of the water crisis.

Mubashir Ahmad of Chitragam said that they heaved a sigh of relief following the recent wet spell.

“Our area already faced a water crisis. However, the heavy rains and snow have replenished the water sources, significantly increasing the water level,” Ahmad said.

He said that the dry spell had left many springs on the verge of drying up, raising serious concerns among the residents.

“The snow and rainfall have provided the much-needed relief,” he said.