With unbridled urbanization, the water bodies in Kashmir valley are getting choked day by day. Kashmir was traditionally known as the source of cleanest water bodies but with increase in the pollution levels, the water bodies in Kashmir are getting choked day by day. Even though the government has made efforts to ensure no direct emptying of sewage pipes into the river. However, a lot still needs to be done. Urbanisation, unabated encroachment, and flow of sewage are the main reasons due to which rivers of the valley are getting polluted. The main victim is river Jhelum. Jhelum which originates from Verinag in south Kashmir and traverses through Srinagar before entering into Wular Lake. This river is the most important source of irrigation, drinking water, and hydropower generation. The increase in the pollution of this all-important river is a great worry for the environment of valley. The present dispensation needs to frame tougher regulations as far as compliance of not harming nature is concerned. Government needs to do a thorough survey on the number of houses emptying their sewage directly into the river. Tougher regulations, tougher laws, and even tougher compliance are the steps that need to be taken to ensure that the river pollution does not increase beyond acceptable levels. Water bodies are an important part of the environment, in fact, they form the pivot of the environment. Uncontrolled fishing, sand mining, untreated sewage for a few more decades and it would not be a surprise to see Jhelum meet the same date as Doodhganga or a few decades later like river Yamuna. We need to take some serious steps and we need to take them now. The present dispensation is working tirelessly for environment conservation. We have high hopes from present government to this end.
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