'Only 30 percent water in rivers': Severe irrigation crisis hits Kulgam and Anantnag

June 21, 2025 by News Desk

Representational Image

Danishwar Hameed

A worsening irrigation crisis has gripped South Kashmir’s Kulgam and Anantnag districts, where hundreds of acres of paddy fields are drying up due to an acute shortage of irrigation water—leaving farmers on the brink of despair as the sowing season enters its most crucial phase.

Villages including Sherpora, Frisal, Wapora, Chinnigam, Kujar, Khudwani, Hassanpora, and Kharpora are among the worst affected, with large stretches of farmland turning brown instead of green.

“This is the peak time for paddy cultivation, but many of our fields have not received a drop of water,” said Ghulam Rasool, a farmer from Frisal. “I’ve already lost over half my crop. If it doesn’t rain soon or water isn’t supplied, we won’t be able to survive the year.”

A senior official from the Irrigation and Flood Control Department told The Kashmiriyat that only 30 percent of the normal water level is currently available in River Jhelum—a critical source of irrigation in the region. “At this time of year, Jhelum should be running much fuller. The low discharge is alarming and it directly affects canal-fed irrigation systems,” the official said.

The ongoing dry spell has added to the crisis, with precipitation levels falling by more than 40 percent compared to the seasonal average, according to data from the Meteorological Department in Srinagar. The region has received little to no rainfall over the past few weeks, worsening the drought-like conditions.

This dramatic fall in water availability has already led to a sharp decline in paddy transplantation, and agricultural officers warn of a significant drop in paddy production if the situation persists.

“We are witnessing a climate-induced crisis,” said a senior official in the Agriculture Department. “Glacier-fed streams are drying up earlier than usual, and the intensity and duration of rainfall have both declined. The impact on food security and livelihoods will be serious.”

Experts link the crisis to broader climate change and global warming, which have triggered erratic weather patterns across the Kashmir Valley in recent years—frequent floods alternating with longer dry spells, and overall reduced snow accumulation in the mountains.

Executive Engineer Irrigation Division Kulgam, Parvaz Ahmad Naik, confirmed the water shortage and said measures are being taken to manage the limited supply. “We are trying to prioritize key areas, but the gap between demand and availability is very wide this year,” he said.

Meanwhile, distressed farmers say they feel abandoned. “We are not asking for miracles, just enough water to keep the crop alive,” said another farmer from Chinnigam. “If this is what farming will look like every year, we may as well leave the land.”