When the River Speaks of Crisis
By: Javid Amin | Srinagar | 26 June 2025
The River Jhelum, long considered the lifeline of Kashmir, is now a silent witness to a deepening environmental crisis. Once a symbol of cultural memory, agricultural sustenance, and ecological vitality, the river is now shrinking at an alarming rate—visibly thinning under the weight of a relentless heatwave and prolonged dry spell that have gripped the region.
This is not just about falling water levels. This is a red flag—waving loudly over Kashmir’s rivers, streams, lakes, and the communities that depend on them. From Sangam to Pampore, Jhelum’s iconic flow has slowed, revealing a grim new face of climate disruption.
Jhelum’s Water Level Dips: A Snapshot of the Crisis
Recent readings paint a sobering picture:
- Sangam: 0.96 ft (dangerously close to dry-season lows)
- Munshi Bagh (Srinagar): 2.79 ft
- Pampore: -1.16 metres (yes, a negative level)
These numbers aren’t just statistics—they represent a tipping point. The Jhelum, once robust enough to carry the tales of empires and civilizations, now struggles to quench the thirst of its own basin.
Tributaries in Trouble: Lidder, Vishow & Rambiyara Nallah
The crisis isn’t confined to Jhelum alone. Tributaries like the Lidder River in Pahalgam, the Vishow Nallah in Kulgam, and the Rambiyara Nallah in Shopian are also reporting historically low discharge levels.
These tributaries form the intricate web of Kashmir’s freshwater network—vital for agriculture, aquifers, and ecological balance. With their flows disrupted, the entire water cycle of the Valley is under pressure.
Agricultural Alarm Bells: Orchards and Paddy Fields Hit Hard
Farmers across South and Central Kashmir are among the first to feel the heat—quite literally. Paddy fields, traditionally dependent on consistent water supply from rivers and streams, are showing signs of distress. In Pulwama, Shopian, and Anantnag, farmers report cracked fields and delayed transplanting.
Apple growers are also alarmed. Orchards in Sopore, Baramulla, and parts of Budgam are reporting increased fruit drop and sunburn—an abnormality for this time of year.
“We haven’t seen such dryness this early in decades,” said Abdul Ahad, a second-generation farmer from Anantnag. “Even the underground water in our borewell has gone down.”
Wullar Lake: Kashmir’s Water Buffer is Drying Too
Wullar Lake, one of Asia’s largest freshwater lakes, is also below its expected seasonal average. This natural reservoir plays a key role in balancing Kashmir’s water availability.
Ecologists fear that the lake’s reduced inflow and increasing evaporation could disturb fish habitats, impact migratory birds, and increase sedimentation. The long-term damage to Wullar could dismantle the Valley’s water security net.
Official Response: Jal Shakti Department’s Cautionary Reassurance
According to the Jal Shakti Department, the water crisis is being monitored. The department is deploying tankers, checking filtration plants, and ensuring that existing water supply chains remain functional.
However, officials have warned against non-essential water usage, such as washing vehicles, watering lawns, and excessive domestic use.
“The situation is under control for now, but any further delay in rainfall could push us into emergency management,” one official remarked.
Hope on the Horizon: Forecasted Rain May Bring Temporary Relief
The Meteorological Department has forecast light to moderate rainfall from June 25 to June 27. While this may offer momentary relief, experts caution that short-term precipitation cannot offset long-term hydrological decline.
Rainfall patterns in Kashmir have become increasingly erratic—drier springs, hotter summers, and delayed monsoons are now becoming the norm.
Understanding the Bigger Picture: Climate Change Has Arrived
This crisis is not just about weather—it’s about climate. And Kashmir, with its fragile Himalayan ecosystem, is ground zero for these changes.
Longer summers, receding glaciers, warmer winters, and reduced snowmelt are all part of a complex web of disruption. The Jhelum’s distress signals are just one thread in this unraveling tapestry.
When Snow Forgot to Stay: Kashmir’s Silent Climate Crisis
It is not just the climate of Kashmir that hangs in balance—it is the soul of the land, the memory of paradise.
There was a time when Kashmir’s summers arrived like a quiet blessing. The snow on the mountain slopes melted gently into streams, the meadows bloomed with iris and daisies, and the winds whispered through the chinars with a soothing coolness that seemed to come from some ancient blessing.
Tourists flocked to Pahalgam and Gulmarg not to escape the heat, but to meet the kind of serene summer that felt like a benediction. Locals moved about in pherans even in June evenings. But somewhere along the way, the seasons forgot their rhythm.
Kashmir is now warming faster than the national average. Melting glaciers, erratic rainfall, drying springs, forest fires, and heat stress are not fragments of some faraway environmental debate. They are here, and they are altering the face of the valley.
Unchecked emissions of greenhouse gases, rampant deforestation, wetland encroachment, and unplanned urbanization have all exacerbated the issue. Traditional homes are giving way to climate-insensitive structures. Rituals once tied to seasons now struggle for relevance. Apple orchards bloom too early. Birds lose their migratory rhythm. Entire villages go thirsty in the summer.
It’s time to remember. And act.
What Can Be Done: Policy, People & Preservation
Policy Measures:
- Adopt sustainable water management: Rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling.
- Reassess irrigation techniques: Promote drip and sprinkler systems.
- Legislate water usage norms: Penalize misuse, encourage conservation.
Public Participation:
- Avoid washing vehicles with hosepipes
- Report leakages and wastage
- Use water-efficient appliances
Long-Term Goals:
- Afforestation drives in catchment areas
- Wetland restoration projects
- Reviving traditional water management systems like Zabo and Kuhls
Call to Action: Kashmir Needs You
The shrinking Jhelum is not just an environmental concern—it’s a cultural and existential one. Kashmir’s identity, agriculture, biodiversity, and very future depend on how we act today.
Let’s not wait for Jhelum to run dry before we wake up.
Final Word: From Source to Soul
The Jhelum is more than a river. It is memory, movement, melody, and mother. Its fading flow must compel every Kashmiri—and every conscious citizen—to rethink how we use, waste, and value water.
Let the snow stay a little longer. Let the springs flow again. Let the meadows sing.
We are not just losing a river. We are losing a rhythm that once defined Kashmir.
Let this be a beginning—not an obituary.
