Village of 500 springs launches self-funded cleanliness drive ‘Al-Tahara’

Anantnag, Oct 28: As dawn breaks over Panzath, the fabled ‘Village of 500 Springs’, a low rumble of a tractor echoes through its narrow lanes.

Villagers step out with sacks and buckets, tossing their household garbage into the trailer.

It’s not a government vehicle, but one hired by the villagers themselves, a symbol of self-reliance and of a community determined to keep its home and heritage clean.

In the absence of a formal rural waste collection system, the residents of this south Kashmir village in Qazigund have pooled money to launch Al-Tahara - an Arabic word meaning “cleanliness.”

Under the initiative, a tractor hired through collective funds moves door-to-door, collecting waste that is later disposed of far from the springs that define Panzath’s identity.

“This is a self-help initiative,” said local resident Muhammad Yusuf Deva, watching the tractor make its weekly round. “Every household contributes Rs 100. We began with a microphone, banner, and fuel, and from there, the effort just grew.”

The villagers say, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”

As government waste disposal vehicles rarely reach their hilly terrain, the people of Panzath decided to act before the garbage did more damage not only to their health but to the lifeline beneath their feet.

Famous for its crystal-clear springs and shimmering trout, Panzath has long been celebrated as one of south Kashmir’s most scenic villages.

But pollution and encroachment have begun to cloud its waters.

Locals say that the Al-Tahara mission is an attempt to reclaim that purity, both literal and symbolic.

“This is not just about collecting trash,” said another resident, Ashiq Hussain Rather. “It’s about protecting what our ancestors left us - clean water, clean streets, and clean hearts.”

The campaign, driven by the youth and guided by elders, has united the village like few other efforts in recent memory.

A green flag bearing the word Tahara flutters from the tractor, a reminder that cleanliness, for the people here, is not just civic duty but faith in action.

For many families, the change has already been felt.

“Earlier, women used to carry waste themselves, walking long distances to dump it,” said Lateef Khan, another villager. “Now, with the tractor, life has become easier and cleaner.”

Each household contributes Rs 50 to Rs 100 a month to cover fuel and maintenance.

Beyond hygiene, villagers see Al-Tahara as an act of environmental preservation.

With recent cloudbursts and erratic weather patterns, they view pollution control as part of their defense against climate uncertainty.

“We can’t stop the rain,” one villager said, “But we can stop polluting what gives us life.”

A CONTINUING BATTLE TO SAVE PANZATH’S SPRINGS

Panzath, its name derived from the Kashmiri words Paanch (five) and Hath (hundred), was once home to more than 500 natural springs.

Over the years, encroachment, sewage inflow, and plastic waste have degraded these pristine waters, endangering aquatic life, including the village’s famed rainbow trout.

Earlier this year, villagers carried out a major cleanup drive, clearing weeds and non-biodegradable waste to restore the springs’ natural flow.

The water from these springs supplies drinking and irrigation water to nearly 50 villages and supports 25 water supply schemes that benefit around 50,000 residents.

Panzath also hosts south Kashmir’s largest trout hatchery, producing about 6 lakh trout seeds annually and generating significant local revenue.

Despite its ecological and cultural importance, development under the Verinag Development Authority has remained limited.

Locals say that with sustained conservation efforts and eco-tourism planning, Panzath could emerge as one of south Kashmir’s key natural heritage sites, a living example of how community action can protect both nature and tradition.