Water, water everywhere, not a drop to drink
Apart from the myriad of ills which afflict the valley of Kashmir one thing so obvious seems to have gone unnoticed so far. Even the ongoing environmental week which has witnessed many seminars and programs related to importance of environment, seems to be neglecting the basic issue of rapidly falling level of quality and quantity of drinking water here.
In a span of just few years the waters of the valley seem to have lost the volume and taste for which it was world famous. Springs are drying up, the under ground water level is decreasing, and its drinkability is also declining very rapidly. We seem to be talking about huge water resources and the potential of hydro electric power but we seem to be in oblivion when it comes to the upcoming water epidemic in our valley.
The water level in our rivers is not as it used to be. In towns and cities people don’t dare to wash even their clothes in rivers because the level of pollution is so obvious as if telling ‘Do not touch me.’ As for as sub-urban and rural areas are concerned the brooks and streamlets which used to be visible and shining even overflowing to pastures during the summer season seem to have shrunk like the dry vegetables Kashmiris used to store for lean days and even continue the tradition to this day.
As the experts are busy with their programs and seminars no one seems to mention that they have grown phobic as for as the drinking water supplied by State’s Public health Engineering Department is concerned. As is the fad now in every such function, packaged drinking water is served and no one seems to notice that it is priced at Rs 14-15 a bottle. We have been making noise (rightly so) that our economy has turned out to be a consumption market and we import milk, poultry products, meat, textiles without contributing a bit to the supplies, but everybody has been held by some unconscious pull regarding the water import. Yes, Kashmir valley is importing water worth crores of rupees for quite a few years now, and our local packaged water suppliers have not been bestowed by our good wishes so far.
Interestingly, Chief minster Ghulam Nabi Azad recently promised drinking water facilities to all villages within a span of four years, but as usual he missed to mention the condition of water which is supplied to people as drinking water presently. Perhaps he has never been told by his advisers that a common Kashmiri is very afraid of tap water as the mere sight of it paints the pictures of jaundice, cholera, and other deadly diseases in his mind. As in other areas of life, Kashmiris—rich or poor—have learned to adopt themselves to the circumstances and from a good number of years they use only boiled water for drinking.
The recent years have witnessed a surge in urolithiasis (kidneystones) in Kashmir. According to unconfirmed reports, every 5th person in the valley has this problem to some degree. Adding to the miseries, kidney failures is becoming an on and off situation in Kashmir now. Though the traditional therapists differ to some extent, alternative health experts are of the unanimous view that Kashmiris take water scarcely and this habit is contributing to kidney stone formation. Even the patients who are advised by their doctors to take good quantity of water have to force themselves to do so. In fact people of Kashmir are afraid of water and unconsciously they are avoiding cholera and other diseases. It is not feasible for everyone to buy packaged drinking water (even that has some question tags) and it is not possible to carry water with you everywhere. This is the grave issue concerning health and environment. But who cares in this neglected land!
(Daily Etalaat)