From Purity to Neglect: The Story of Our Vanishing Waterways

The valley of Kashmir is cradled by towering mountains that stay covered with snow for most of the year. Winter snowfall, followed by occasional spells later in the year, keeps these peaks white and glistening. As the snow melts, it feeds countless streams that wind through every part of the valley. These streams have always been the reason Kashmir has perennial flowing water. For generations, people here relied on these natural water sources for drinking, household needs, and irrigation. I grew up watching families, including my own, use the water from a nearby stream because it was considered clean and trustworthy.

With time, however, everything has changed. Modern facilities provided by the government—especially tap water supplied through pipelines—have made life easier, but they have also reduced people’s dependence on natural streams. When clean water is available at home, fewer people visit the streams, and gradually, these once-precious resources have started to lose their value in the eyes of the common man.

In many rural parts of the valley, where proper sanitation and waste-management systems are still missing, people have unfortunately started using these streams as dumping sites. Household waste is thrown along the banks simply because no one is monitoring them. As a result, large stretches of many streams are now lined with garbage. The same water that once sustained our lives is now being choked by the very people who once protected it.

There was a time when people believed it was a grave sin to contaminate flowing water. Elders often reminded us that anyone who polluted a stream would be held accountable on the Day of Judgement and be made to undo the harm. Such beliefs shaped responsible behaviour, and people took great care not to defile water. Today, as faith in such ideas weakens, awareness and sensitivity have faded too.

Seeing the current condition of these streams deeply saddens me. Thankfully, a small but growing number of people are beginning to speak up. Recently, I came across a video where a man confronted someone who was about to pollute a stream. He not only stopped him but also called out the behaviour publicly, hoping to create awareness. Actions like these give me hope. I have always opposed such practices myself, and it pains me to witness how casually people treat something that has sustained us for centuries. Even the water that comes through our pipelines ultimately begins its journey from these very streams.

Despite having a stream flowing right beside our home, we cannot use its water anymore because it is no longer clean. During peak summer months, we often face shortages and have no option but to depend on government-supplied water tankers. How ironic and unfortunate it is that a place blessed with abundant natural water now struggles due to pollution created by its own people.

The government has started taking steps to address this issue, introducing new schemes and measures to prevent misuse and restore these water bodies. But the real change must come from us. If we fail to protect these resources today, we risk depriving future generations of the very lifeline that sustained our ancestors.