Kashmiri Farmers Brace For Loss After Floods Wipe Out Waterways

By Syed Sammar Mehdi

Srinagar- On a recent morning, the muddy waters of the Doodh Ganga stream ran faster than usual, carrying with them the remnants of three irrigation channels that once fed thousands of kanals of farmland in Chadoora.

Farmers from ten surrounding villages stood along the banks, their eyes tracing the collapsed embankments, a mix of anger and disbelief etched into their faces.

“These kuls were our lifeline,” said Abdul Rashid Sheikh, a farmer from Doyan village.“Kralpur, Masar, and Doyan carried water to our fields for generations. Now they are gone. If repairs aren't done before March, more than 3,000 kanals of farmland will fail, and 6,000 kanals more will suffer indirectly.”

The farmers blame decades of illegal sand and boulder mining for the destruction.

Heavy machinery, including cranes, dumpers, and JCBs, has been operating along Doodh Ganga for the past five to six years, carving away riverbanks, weakening embankments, and leaving the irrigation channels exposed.

“The damage built up over years,” Sheikh said.“The National Green Tribunal stopped much of the mining last year, but the harm was already done.”

A closer look at the mining records reveals stark inequities.

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