Rising Heat, Dry Rivers, Failing Crops, Official Neglect
Kashmir, often hailed as paradise on earth, is now gripped by a deepening environmental emergency. From scorching temperatures to receding glaciers, drying rivers to collapsing farming systems, the Valley faces a compound crisis that is threatening its ecological balance and economic stability.
This summer, Srinagar recorded 37.4 °C, its hottest July day in over 70 years. Such extreme heat has strained both people and infrastructure. Air conditioners, once a luxury in the region, became essential as homes baked under the sun. Yet while the heat soared, water sources vanished. Tap water turned scarce, and entire irrigation systems have started to fail.
The valley’s traditional irrigation canals, lifelines for Kashmir’s agriculture, have largely dried up. Many of them are choked with silt, their capacity severely compromised due to years of government neglect. There has been little or no investment in their desiltation. Shockingly, even the Jhelum River, Kashmir’s central artery, has not seen desiltation work for the last three years. As the riverbed rises, its ability to feed adjoining canals and flood channels diminishes, directly affecting farming and flood mitigation.
This water stress forced farmers to make desperate, last-minute changes in cropping patterns. Rice fields were abandoned in favour of maize or millets. In areas like Pulwama, Budgam and Anantnag, the shift has been widespread. But it’s not just the crops that have changed; entire rural livelihoods are under threat. With pest outbreaks on the rise due to the dry, hot spell, even alternate crops are under siege.
Up in the mountains, the picture is equally grim. Glaciers are shrinking rapidly, and satellite imagery shows that at least four glacial lakes are expanding, posing a serious risk of glacial lake outburst floods. Meanwhile, the Pir Panjal and Zanskar ranges continue to absorb heat from black carbon carried by winds from industrial centres in Punjab, accelerating melt and altering the hydrology of the region.
The rainfall deficit, now over 50 per cent for the season, has deepened this distress. Streams have dried, meadows are parched, and orchards are suffering from water stress, especially in southern districts.
Kashmir’s ecological crisis is not unfolding in isolation. It is the cumulative result of climate shocks, governance failure, and regional pollution. The government must act immediately and decisively. Desiltation of rivers and canals must be prioritised. Climate-smart farming, water conservation, and cross-border pollution control must become state policy, not afterthoughts.
Without this, Kashmir risks losing not just its beauty, but its very ability to survive.
