Thirsty soil
After a prolonged wait we had a snowfall worth some weight and consequence. Finally, the earth beneath us is fed with water and it quenches its thirst. Not many people have the idea how much our ground underneath was deficient of water before this snowfall. At some places water table had dipped by 30-40 feet. That is really huge. Some natural wells had even dried up. Now that we have this snowfall, natural veins will dilate and water will run through them to replenish the drying up wells.
Though a momentary relief and an expectation for a good spring, it’s time to seriously reflect on what we have done to our water bodies. The major one, Jhelum, presents a scary look. The bed is dried up at places. Tons and tons of polythene littered along the beds and elevated dry spots along the course of this life line of ours. All waste carried in its watery folds, silently it suffers, nay stinks.
Now take the lakes we take customary pride in. Dal lake is good for photo op, bad for everything else. Its water is host to all kinds of waste that flows from around. Its tributaries, around the city, are a testimony to apathy, greed and degradation. We have actually waged war against our own natural defences. The disappearance of many small and medium aqueducts that used to flow in the length and breadth of this city is a telling indictment of us as a people.
The prolonged dry spell and the anguish it caused in all of us, is a reminder of sorts. Unless we change our ways, nature might pronounce a harsher judgment against us. This snowfall, at the fag end of Chillai Kalan is like a mercy chance for us failing to take care of the natural wealth we were bestowed with. If we continue with our attitude of brazen neglect towards the natural assets, we are simply committing a collective suicide. We might live, but our coming generation are sure to face the deadly suffocation – God forbid. Time for a collective introspection. Time for the government to take serious, severe and sustained effort to save water bodies and undo the damage done till now.
