The Enraged Vaeth

By Mushtaq Hurra 

Vaeth (Vitasta) is unequivocally called the emblem of kashmiriyat. This river is the jugular vein of kashmir, and one of the oldest companions of a glorious civilizational heritage which is testimony to an unparalleled legacy of thousands of years. The great river bears witness to different eras of kashmiriyat, as it has withstood many ebbs and flows alongside its custodians. The river has cradled great sons of the soil like Laltaditya, Bud-Shah the great and many others. It adds aura to the idyllic cities, towns and villages situated on its banks. It plays a pivotal role in our progression as our economy is chiefly agro-based. 

With all its glory and importance, it is however, in a state of wrath. It is appalling to learn that Vitasta (River Jhelum) has begun to intimidate its own caretakers and guardians because they have been fiddling with mother nature unabatedly. 

Hydaspes very often swells up to incessant and torrential rains during summer seasons, and consequently, threatens Kashmiris of catastrophic fury. Kashmir valley has experienced the wrath of Jhelum in the past, at many occasions. Since the valley is a cold region, abundant rains and snow are indispensable for its sustenance. So, prolonged snow spells and pretty large amounts of rains are quite common during winter and spring seasons. But, summer months often provoke the Jhelum to spate and anger when it rains heavily. Monsoon winds coupled with occasional western disturbances often create frenzied visuals in the Veath. The havoc wreaked by relentless spells and showers in 2014, is still fresh on the canvas of our reminiscences. The fury of nature then had turned the valley into an ocean where commoners were terribly battling to survive. 

Now, every surge in the river triggers common Kashmiris because the deluge of 2014 is still fresh in Kashmir’s memory. Ugly and indelible scars of the inundation are yet to heal up fully.  

Recent torrential rains in the Himalayan regions of India like Uttarakhand and UttarPradesh are enough to send shivers down our spine. 

Though rains in the plains of Kashmir during June and July 2023 have been intermittent and scattered but the discharge in Hydespas ( River Jhelum ) and its other tributaries has been exceedingly high and horrifying. I won’t deny the copious amounts of rains at higher altitudes of our valley which have been instrumental in the surge of the river. But, the scary discharge levels in the river Jhelum were quite unusual and unanticipated. 

The disproportionate gush in the river should not be attributed to rains alone but there is also probably an underlying phenomenon which infuriates the river. Rise in surface temperature of the planet, called global warming, is a bug responsible for this execrable change. Incendiary temperature at regional and global level, is aggravating the crisis. Our own valley of Kashmir is entrapped in this ghastly calamity.

Very recently, we had to combat a nerve-wracking heat wave which forced authorities to extend summer vacations from ten to fifteen days. The unpleasantly warm weather had almost turned hostile to us. Scorching and sweltering  weather didn’t only give us prickly heat, but caused extensive damage to our glacial wealth. Our water treasures viz glaciers are already under the threat of terrible recession due to soaring temperatures in our valley. Last ten days of June 2023 gave some scary visuals to the neighbours of river Jhelum with its swirling cascades and rise. Flashfloods are ravaging habitations. 

River Jhelum is the chief source of irrigation and drinking water for major areas of the valley. So, sufficient flow in it is significantly important for our survival. But, the unusual discharge in its basin has become a double edged sword for us. On the one hand, it poses terrible threat to life and property, and on the other hand, it hollows us silently. The alarming recession rate of our glaciers is a serious cause of concern for all of us. Going by this rate, our aquatic resources are sure to dry up very soon. Our progeny and future generations will curse us for being callous and insensitive towards the grave issue. We can’t afford to be complacent and callous. We must take concrete steps to minimise the recession rate of our glaciers. 

Since our valley is an eco-sensitive region, so we must be extra cautious towards our environment and its different components. We have begun to fiddle with eco-sensitive regions. Polythene bags, wrappers of junk foods, plastic bottles and other materials are seen abundantly piling up in forests, water bodies, glacial sites and other eco-sensitive spots. Nature invites us to explore its hidden treasures, but unnecessary human intervention and meddling is proving costly for us. We definitely can’t eliminate the plastic from our lives, but we can certainly safeguard and conserve our natural resources and treasures from its ill effects. Though management of non-biodegradable waste viz plastic products is a daunting challenge for the entire humanity, but there are certain ways to combat it.

Plastic alone is not the fons-et-origo of the drastic climate change. Deforestation is another detrimental factor which has caused severe damage to our environment. Plundering the green-gold has become a norm in our part of the globe. Both commoners and people at the helm chop trees in one or the other pretext. If axing trees to meet different human requirements and necessities becomes inevitable at times, then we must not forget to plant new trees against the chopped ones. It will help us to maintain the ecological balance of the susceptible and eco-sensitive regions like Kashmir. Ironically, we pay no heed to it. Even Islamic teachings stress upon the conservation and management of the environment. Sustainable development of natural resources is inevitable to sanctify the truth of ” Live and let live.”

Emission of greenhouse gases is yet another detrimental factor for the obnoxious climate change. Impact of global warming on climate stirs the souls of sensitive people. Europe is bracing up for its hottest ever temperatures. Sicily and Sardinia in Italy are sizzling at 48 degrees centigrade. The whole world is caught up in the cruel pangs of the warming. Our valley is now no exception to it. Number of petrol and diesel vehicles has increased manifold. Consequently, the temperatures are soaring. And the mounting mercury infuriates the Vitasta and other rivulets. A potential flood threat is still looming large on us. But, we are in a deep slumber. The crisis may go from bad to worse, if a pragmatic approach is not adopted by both commoners and people at the helm.  

Views expressed in the article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial stance of Kashmir Observer 

• The author is a Teacher and a Columnist. He can be reached at [email protected]

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