As old woman makes a poignant appeal to dried-up spring in Kashmir, CM Omar Abdullah flags water crisis

“Oh divine spring, where have you disappeared, my dear?” a wailing elderly woman is seen addressing the dried-up Achabal Spring in Kashmir’s Anantnag district in a video that struck a chord with scores of people on social media.

The historic spring in Mughal Garden was built by Emperor Jahangir’s wife Noor Jahan in the 17th century.

It has never run dry before, as per locals.

“Oh divine Spring, why have you stopped giving us water? What have we done to you?... Come back to life… Oh Allah, let the water gush forth once more…,” the old woman cries her heart out, while making an emotional appeal in the viral video.

As the spring, a source for various water supply schemes, has been providing water to villages surrounding the garden, residents are now facing a severe water crisis and are relying on water tankers.

The situation is grim elsewhere in south Kashmir with water levels going down in rivers and reservoirs.

The Jhelum river, which is the lifeline of the region, has been experiencing a continuous decline in its level.

Experts have attributed this situation to the snowless winter and prolonged dry spell.

Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, too, has reacted over the issue, saying “Jammu and Kashmir is staring at a water crisis this year.”

The CM, on Wednesday, said he was reviewing various measures that the Jal Shakti department intended to take to deal with the crisis.

"J&K is staring at a water crisis this year. It's not a recent phenomenon. Actually, it's been building up for a few years now. While the government will have to adopt a more proactive approach for water management & conservation, it can't just be a government-centric approach," read an X post by the CM.

"All of us residents of J&K will have to change the way we take water for granted. I'll be reviewing the measures the Jal Shakti (PHE) Dept intends to take to deal with the developing crisis & I'll also be talking to the people of J&K over the next few months about what we can do collectively," his post read.