Jhelum is equal to snow, springs and streams. If these three weaken, the river weakens. If these three die, the river can also die.
Dr. Ashraf Zainabi
This is the truth we often forget when we speak about the future of the Jhelum. The river starts from the Verinag spring at the foot of the Pir Panjal mountains. Old books and local stories say that this spring has always been the birthplace of the river. From there the water moves slowly, gathers snowmelt from the mountains, collects small streams on the way, passes through villages and towns, enters Srinagar, touches Wular Lake, and then leaves the valley and moves onward. The journey looks long, but the life of the river depends on very small things like one winter snowfall, one melting stream and one spring that keeps flowing through the year. Many centuries ago people depended on the Jhelum for everything. They grew food on its banks, travelled in boats, washed in it, fished in it and built homes near it. Old travellers wrote that Kashmir’s life was tied to this river. Even today the old bridges in Srinagar, the narrow lanes near the river, the houseboats and the gardens all have their stories connected to Jhelum. But while our lives changed, the river did not change its nature. It still depends on winter snow, on the springs of the valley, and on the clean streams that come down from forests and mountains. Today the river looks tired. Its water is no longer as clean as it once was.
Sewage from towns, washing of clothes, waste from shops and homes, plastic and chemicals enter it every single day. Many parts of the river look dark and smell bad in summer. Several studies carried out by universities and research groups say that the water in many stretches of the Jhelum has high pollution levels. They measure things like turbidity, waste load, bacteria and chemicals. Each year the reports say that human pressure is becoming too much for the river to handle.
Encroachment has also hurt the river. People and builders have pushed the riverbanks inward. Wetlands that once cleaned the water naturally have been filled. Places like Wular Lake, which act like the river’s lungs, have shrunk. When wetlands shrink the river loses the support system that helped it handle floods, clean waste and store water for dry days. Riverbed mining has also changed the river. When sand and stones are removed again and again, the bed becomes deeper and unstable. The water then moves faster in some places and gets trapped in others, making the river weaker over time. But the biggest danger comes from the sky. Climate change is slowly stealing the snow from our winters. Kashmir used to have long winters with heavy snowfall. Now many winters pass with very little snow. When there is no snow, there is no slow melting in spring. When snow does not melt slowly, springs do not stay full. When springs dry or weaken, the Jhelum gets less water in summer. That is why people now talk about low flow in the Jhelum even in months when the river was once strong.
“The survival of the Jhelum River depends on the health of its sources: snow, springs, and streams. Damage to these sources, particularly polluted streams and damaged springs, threatens the river’s existence. Protecting these sources through care, respect, and understanding is crucial for the river’s future; otherwise, the Jhelum may not survive for the next generation.”
Many scientific papers have been published about this change. They say the mountains of the Himalayas are warming faster than many other places. Snow cover is reducing. The melting is happening earlier in the year. Spring discharge is going down. This means the natural water storage that kept the Jhelum alive through the dry months is quietly disappearing. Once the stored water in snow and springs is gone, nothing can replace it. No machine, no dam and no canal can recreate the delicate balance of nature. The Jhelum can disappear one day if all these pressures continue together. A river does not vanish in one moment. It dies slowly. First the water gets dirty. Then the flow reduces. Then summers become dry. Then the river becomes narrow in parts. Then large stretches become shallow. Then only a small thread of water is left. And then people say, “This river was once great.” This is the fear many scientists, environmentalists and ordinary citizens have for the Jhelum.
If Jhelum becomes weak, Kashmir becomes weak. The farms in the valley need the river. The fish in the wetlands need it. The houseboats and tourism depend on its beauty. The climate of the valley depends on the water bodies staying alive. Even the groundwater that people use in hand pumps depends on the river bed staying full. When the river shrinks, groundwater shrinks. When groundwater shrinks, springs shrink. Everything is connected. Jhelum is not just a river on the map. It is the water cycle of Kashmir. Saving Jhelum is not difficult if all people share the effort. We need to stop dumping waste into the river. We need proper sewage treatment so dirty water does not enter it directly. We must protect the wetlands and give them space to breathe. We must control sand mining and not allow machines to tear the river apart. We need to plant trees in the upper areas so streams do not dry. We need to save the springs by protecting their recharge zones. Above all, we need to understand that winter snowfall is not just a pretty sight. It is the main life-giver of the river. If the snow does not come, if the springs are damaged, and if the streams are polluted, the Jhelum will not survive. Jhelum equals snow, springs and streams. This simple formula decides the fate of the river. When these three are healthy, the river is healthy. When these three are dying, the river is dying. The Jhelum does not need big speeches or big plans. It only needs care, respect and understanding. If we protect its sources, the river will live for generations. If we ignore them, we may be the last generation to see the Jhelum as a living river.
(The author is a teacher and a researcher based in Gowhar Pora Chadoora of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
