PREYING ON NATURE: A RIVER IN CRISIS

In the beautiful region of Rafiabad, part of the greater district of Baramulla, a beautiful and vast river meanders like a dragon tail. This river is Jhelum. Jhelum streams from North East to South West providing its bountiful life source to the people of Vijibal, Ladura and Chaklu directly and the entire Rafiabad region indirectly. The elixir being provided by this mammoth river runs in the veins of every Kashmiri living in Rafiabad. The entire water supply scheme of the North Kashmir draws its water from the main source of Jhelum. The river is also the source of much catchment area for fish. Moreover, it is also the mainstay of irrigation for the region. However, the river has come under crisis due to insatiable greed of the man. The river bed is full of essential gravel which is extensively used in construction material. And now a day’s human civilization is on the mission of deforesting all the greens and constructing concrete jungle. And that endeavor, we have not spared the life line. The Jhelum suffers every passing day, firstly due to industrial scale gravel extraction activities albeit illegal, secondly, the fish of the river has started vanishing and thus the local food has become that much scarcer. Thirdly the deposition of sand on the adjacent land has rendered the land uncultivable hurting the food source availability.

Due to this activity of extracting gravel from river bed, there is suspension of fine sediments in river bed making it impermeable which in turn prevents seepage of surface water to ground water increasing dangers of flood ultimately leading to environmental destruction. This activity decreases the fish population, the effects of which are already visible. The entire river from Vijibal to Chaklu has almost zero catchment areas. The place of fishermen has been taken over by gravel excavators. The river bed excavation further changes the morphology and canal stability, which directly affects the flow ultimately leading to stagnation of water making it murkier. In addition, the dumping of the garbage by locals has rendered the river waters so filthy that it’s a real pity to look at. Due to this plastic and garbage dumping phenomenon, one wonders the effects on health of the people who are drinking these waters who by the way are the same people who are dumping garbage.

Who will bell this cat, who will take this shrew. Who will take the responsibility for deterioration of this gift of the nature? The people, the administration or the greedy contractors who are selling the excavated gravel to factories all around India at sky rocketing rates. While looking at the dismal state of affairs and constant failings at saving the precious nature, one wonders who is a genuine blameworthy in all this? On further analysis, none of the above are deserving of any vindication because they are all together responsible for putting their own lifeline in crisis. The people have no love for their lifeline and thus they allow this blatant abuse of the river. Moreover, locals themselves are using it as garbage dumping stream. The civil administration has failed miserably at cleaning of Jhelum. They have not been able to establish strict regulations to stop either dirtying of the river by locals or robbing of the river beds by various illegal contractors. The contractors have lured the cheap labor in such a cunning manner that the commercial gains have blinded everybody all across.

First and foremost, accountability needs to be fixed through positive implementations of government orders and policies. Secondly cleaning drive needs to be planned at the highest level with substantial investments. Thirdly, the beds of Jhelum needs to be studied in detailed manner to ascertain total damage done till now and measures to avoid further damage needs to be instituted. Fourthly, all the illegal gravel excavations need to come to a halt. Fifthly, employment creation by the government so that cheap labor doesn’t get lured into gravel excavation which is indeed a dangerous activity, just last year, two such labors died of drowning leaving their families with zero support. Sixthly, installation of water treatment plants all across the lengths of Jhelum to clean the water. Seventhly, instituting a cleanliness drive with substantial investments in garbage disposal and recycling systems. Eighthly, declaration of awards for towns which ensure cleanliness of Jhelum River in their respective sectors and ninthly, celebrating the importance and beauty of the great river Jhelum.

If people decide, then what’s not possible? The main actor in all these endeavors are the people. If people understand the issue at hand and its dire implications on their posterity, they will rise against such hazardous activities, albeit commercially popular. Our constitution has given us adequate measures, policies and rules for becoming a thriving society. In each village, there is a body which needs to look at these issues affecting human life. These bodies need to be educated and empowered to march on in the right direction rather than marking time or seen we will no more see clear water but dark contagious water with diseases.