Suhail Bhat
PULWAMA, June 25: A combination of dysfunctional irrigation infrastructure, unchecked sand mining, and administrative inaction has led to an acute irrigation water crisis in several villages of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, where paddy farmers are watching their crops wither even as the Jhelum river flows within sight of their fields.
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Farmers in Chersoo, Hariparigam, Kchaichkoot, Reshipora, Dogripora, Baigpora, Padgampora, and Larkipora said their paddy farms are drying up due to the mismanagement of water resources and a complete failure of the irrigation department. These villages located along the Jhelum-which is their primary source of irrigation -have historically depended on the river for agriculture. But this year, they say, the situation is unprecedented.
In Reshipora, Manzoor Ahmad Bhat stood at the edge of his parched paddy field, shaking his head. “The river flows just a few hundred meters away, but we cannot get a drop for our crops. The lift irrigation schemes once brought us water. Now they lie in ruins, killed by years of illegal sand mining,” he said.
Many farmers in Chersoo, Hariparigam, Dogripora, Padgampora, and Larkipora are battling similar distress. Their crops are wilting under a harsh sun, and what was once considered reliable irrigation support has now collapsed.
Farmers blame unregulated sand mining along the Jhelum-particularly in the Sangam to Pampore stretch-for drastically deepening the riverbed. This has rendered both canal intakes and lift irrigation pumps ineffective. A farmer from Chersoo pointed out that the key lift pump at Darbal has been defunct for a long time, while breaches in the Awantipora canal at Waghama have only worsened the water scarcity. “We are even willing to pay for the maintenance of these schemes,” said a grower from Larmoh, expressing deep frustration over the Irrigation and flood control department’s inaction.
Despite repeated requests, farmers say the department has failed to carry out even basic maintenance or repairs. As a last resort, they are now threatening to protest along the national highway if immediate steps are not taken to restore water supply to their fields.
Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Pulwama, Waheed Ur Rehman Para said Kashmir is currently facing its worst irrigation crisis in a century. “Pumps are failing, schemes are defunct, and crucial posts in the department remain vacant,” he said. Para blamed the administrative paralysis and held the state leadership-including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah-responsible for the worsening situation, accusing them of failing to act even as paddy farmers stare at crop failure.
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