A Plea for Gentle Care
Kashmir, with its gentle rivers and verdant fields, has long been a cradle of abundance. Yet, a quiet crisis now grips the valley, as drought-like conditions steal life from its lands. In places like Latpora and nearby villages, farmers watch helplessly as their paddy crops, so tenderly sown, wither under a relentless sun. The lift irrigation systems, meant to breathe life into these fields, stand still—generators silent, starved of fuel, with no funds to bring them back. This heartache ripples across Kashmir, and it calls for our compassion and care.
In Latpora, the absence of fuel for irrigation pumps has left canals like Zaingeer and Reshi Kul dry, unable to nurture thousands of kanals of rice. In Bandipora’s Sonawari, known fondly as Kashmir’s “rice bowl,” low water levels in the Jhelum River and Ferozpora Nallah threaten 20,000 kanals of farmland. Further south, in Pulwama and Anantnag, once-lively canals like Baba and Achabal lie empty, their waters a mere memory. The Jhelum, at a feeble 0.96 ft at Sangam against its usual 12–18 ft, whispers of a deeper struggle, worsened by a 40% shortfall in rains.
Farmers, with hope in their hearts, have tried to adapt. In Handwara’s Maidan Chogal, some carry buckets to water their fields, a tender but exhausting effort. Experts from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology suggest gentler methods, like the System of Rice Intensification, which could save 30–35% of water. But without working pumps or fuel, these ideas remain out of reach.
This is a moment for kindness and action. A small step, like funding fuel for generators, could revive irrigation and bring hope to Latpora’s fields. Longer-term, nurturing micro-irrigation and crops like millets could ease the strain. Kashmir’s farmers, who pour their hearts into the land, deserve our support. Let’s tend to their fields with the same care they give their crops, before the valley’s green heart fades.
