Srinagar, June 23,: As an unrelenting heatwave scorches the Kashmir Valley, farmers from North to Central and South Kashmir are battling a crippling water crisis that threatens this season’s entire paddy crop.
With irrigation canals running dry, groundwater levels dropping, and many traditional water channels either defunct or choked, paddy fields across the region are visibly wilting.
The situation is turning grim just when cultivation is at its peak. Vast tracts of farmland, which should be lush green at this stage, are drying up under the harsh sun, leaving farmers helpless and increasingly desperate.
“This is nothing short of a looming agricultural disaster,” said a farmer from Bandipora. “We have never seen our fields this parched in June. The canals are bone dry, and tube wells are failing due to falling groundwater levels.”
Farmers across multiple districts have called for immediate, high-level government intervention and a comprehensive audit of Kashmir’s irrigation infrastructure. They told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that despite repeated pleas, no remedial steps have been taken, and the authorities continue to turn a blind eye to the worsening crisis.
“If this continues, the entire rice crop for the season will be lost. We are on the brink of collapse,” said a grower from South Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Agricultural experts warn that if urgent measures are not taken, including restoring blocked canals, releasing irrigation water, and deploying water tankers to severely affected areas, Kashmir could face a sharp decline in rice production this year.
Farmers are urging the government to treat the situation as an emergency and not wait for irreversible damage before taking action. [KNT]
