High end dredging machines from US will now come to the rescue of our Jhelum; listen and give a smile. But there is an anxiety hidden behind that smile. It is an acerbic smile. The latest report about getting machines from top US firms to clean Jhelum is good, but there is a trail of bads that has to be graphically presented to draw the contours of the problem, as it stations – on the beds of this river, on the banks of this river, in fact across the entire course of this water body. Every inch of this river bed holds a grudge against us; us, as a society and government. Each drop of its water holds us guilty of neglect; us, as a people and administration. Stinky banks, raised beds and horrid water quality are a reflection of our mind and a white paper on our doings spread over decades. We have murdered Jhelum and we are all culpable in this murder.  To resurrect Jhelum first thing to do is to accept the shame. It is not with a sense of pride that we can sell the news about restoring Jhelum. It is rather with a sense of atonement that we ought to undertake measures of resurrecting Jhelum.  It’s on a mental level. Onwards the question is that of the amount of effort needed to restore this water body, which actually is the life line of Kashmir. The levels of pollution and the enormity of damage done to our water bodies produce a cruel mismatch when placed against the efforts of restoring them. Not just cruel, at times comical too. It comes as a pleasant news, whenever it comes, that a run has been organized by some school, an NGO, or an environmental activist group across the banks of some lake; it invokes sweet interest when a workshop is organized on the theme of how to restore a water body like Dal, Wular or Anchar lake; of course, it sends across a good signal if the concerned departments take some initiative to facelift the banks of this river, dredge its beds or demolish the illegal structures built in the vicinity of this river. The questions that arise on all such occasions are that do our efforts match the challenge posed by the present state of Jhelum. And are we consistent enough with our procedures and processes so that the pace of deterioration doesn’t win over the speed of our efforts. The third question in this trail of anxiety is that do we have our priorities set right. These are the questions that flow on the waters Jhelum every time.
From last some years the most notable thing that has happened to Jhelum and catches the eye of every one who comes across it, is the beautification of its banks for the considerable portion that passes through the city. Truly it has given Jhelum a long deserved facelift. But the speed of work allows the anxiety to lurk behind, as always. Sometimes it gives a sense that what catches the eye is given preference to what is more seriously required to be done on the beds of this river.  So the word of suggestion for the concerned departments; do place the orders for effective machines but let people know the details of your future plans. Do persist with your efforts to prettify the banks but place the priorities right by giving preference to the quality of water in Jhelum and its carrying capacity. And most importantly formulate a policy that covers all the areas of concern. The tributaries that join this water body at different places equally deserve attention. And most importantly the glaciers that feed this river cannot be left to vandalism in the name of tourism and pilgrimage. Like the comprehensive project laid out by LAWDA to restore Dal lake, why can’t we have a comprehensive project to identify the problems and the solutions to them! Finally, why can’t government think of instituting an independent department to take care of Jhelum. 

Lastupdate on : Tue, 30 Nov 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 1 Dec 2010 00:00:00 IST