Kashmir’s Disappearing Water Bodies: Why Water Pollution Is Also a Public Health Threat

The Water We Are Losing: Why Kashmir’s Water Crisis Is Also a Health Crisis Kashmir is known for its rivers, lakes, springs and snow-fed streams. Water is woven into the landscape here. But something important is changing. Some of our water bodies are under increasing pressure from pollution, encroachment, siltation, waste and changing hydrological conditions. Springs and other local water sources also need greater protection as communities depend on them for everyday water needs. It is easy to look at a shrinking lake and think, this is an environmental problem. But there is another question we should be asking: What does the condition of our water mean for our health? The answer is important because the water around us and the water we eventually drink are not separate systems. Our rivers, lakes, groundwater, springs, treatment plants, pipelines, sewage systems and household storage are all part of the same chain. And when one part of that chain is neglected, public health can eventually be affected. From the lake to the glass When people hear about water pollution, they often think about dirty rivers, polluted lakes or plastic waste floating in streams. But the bigger question is much closer to home: Where does the water we drink actually come from? Across Jammu & Kashmir, people depend on different sources of water, including surface water, groundwater, springs, streams and piped drinking-water systems. That means protecting water quality isn't only about keeping our lakes beautiful. It is also about making sure that the water reaching our homes is safe. And there is an important point many people don't realise: Water can look perfectly clean and still require testing. Clear water isn't automatically microbiologically or chemically safe. Contaminants that can affect health may not change the colour, smell or appearance of water. That is why drinking-water safety depends on proper testing rather than appearance alone. Is groundwater in Jammu & Kashmir polluted? This is where the conversation needs some nuance. It would be wrong to say that all groundwater in Kashmir or Jammu & Kashmir is polluted. In fact, the latest Central Ground Water Board groundwater-quality assessment reported that all the Jammu & Kashmir groundwater samples assessed in that report met the applicable BIS standards. That is encouraging. But it doesn't mean that every water source, village or household has exactly the same water quality. Groundwater quality can vary depending on local geology, sanitation, agricultural activity, land use and possible contamination sources. Scientific research has also examined substances such as nitrate, fluoride and heavy metals in groundwater in different parts of Jammu & Kashmir. So instead of asking: “Is all the water in Kashmir polluted?” we should be asking: “Are we monitoring and protecting our drinking-water sources well enough?” That is a much more useful question. Unsafe water can become a health problem Some of the most immediate health risks associated with unsafe drinking water are caused by microorganisms. Water contaminated with human or animal waste can carry disease-causing bacteria, viruses and parasites. According to the World Health Organization, contaminated drinking water can transmit diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A and typhoid. This is why drinking-water safety cannot be separated from sanitation. Imagine a village receives a new water connection. The pipeline itself may be perfectly functional. But if sewage contaminates the source, wastewater enters the distribution system or water is stored improperly at home, the presence of a tap alone does not guarantee safe drinking water. Access to water and access to safe water are not the same thing. More taps don't automatically mean safer water Jammu & Kashmir has made significant progress in expanding household tap-water connections through the Jal Jeevan Mission. That progress matters. Having reliable access to water can make an enormous difference to families and communities. But infrastructure is only one part of a healthy drinking-water system. For water to remain safe, we need: Protected source → proper treatment → safe distribution → regular testing → functioning infrastructure → good sanitation If one part of this chain fails, water quality can be affected. This is why water-quality monitoring and testing are so important. Testing should not simply be about collecting a sample and producing a report. When a problem is identified, the important question is: What happens next? The contamination we cannot see One of the most important things to understand about drinking-water safety is that contamination isn't always visible. A glass of water may be: - Clear - Odourless - Cool - Completely normal-looking …and still require laboratory or appropriate field testing to determine whether it is safe. This matters particularly for people who depend on springs, wells, hand pumps or other untreated local water sources. A spring surrounded by mountains may look incredibly clean. But beautiful surroundings don't guarantee microbiological or chemical safety. Nature gives us water. Testing tells us whether that water is safe to drink. What happens to our wastewater? There is another part of the water conversation that deserves more attention: Where does our wastewater go? Every household produces wastewater. So do restaurants, hospitals, shops, hotels, workshops and other businesses. If wastewater is not properly collected and treated, it can eventually find its way into streams, rivers, lakes or groundwater. That can create a cycle: Wastewater → pollution → environmental contamination → greater treatment burden → potential exposure risk This is why sewage treatment shouldn't be viewed simply as an urban infrastructure project. It is also public-health infrastructure. Keeping sewage out of our water sources is one of the simplest principles of protecting drinking-water quality. Our lakes are under pressure Jammu & Kashmir's water bodies face several challenges, including pollution, encroachment, siltation, invasive vegetation and changes in hydrological conditions. Dal Lake is perhaps the most visible example. Wular Lake is another important example. But the problem is not limited to famous lakes. Smaller wetlands, ponds, springs and water bodies can also play important roles in the local environment and water cycle, yet they may receive far less attention. Government-linked assessments have documented water-quality concerns in different wetlands, including parameters such as dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand and coliform levels. These aren't just technical numbers for environmental scientists. They help us understand what is happening to the ecosystems that surround our communities. Why wetlands matter to our health A wetland isn't simply an empty piece of land covered by water. Wetlands can help: - Store water - Slow water movement - Trap sediments - Support groundwater recharge - Provide habitat for wildlife - Regulate local hydrology - Support livelihoods - Reduce some flood impacts When these natural systems are degraded, we may eventually have to spend more money trying to replace some of the functions they provided naturally. And the consequences aren't limited to wildlife. Changes to water systems can influence flooding, sanitation, water availability and the broader conditions in which people live. That makes environmental protection a public-health concern too. Wular Lake shows that restoration is possible There is also reason for hope. Restoration work at Wular Lake has included activities such as removing accumulated sediment and invasive vegetation. The return of lotus blooms after decades has also been celebrated as an encouraging sign of ecological recovery. There is an important lesson here: Restoration can work. But restoring a lake cannot be treated as a one-time cleaning exercise. A water body doesn't exist in isolation. Its catchment, sewage, waste, surrounding land use, water flows and encroachment all influence its long-term health. Protecting the lake therefore means managing the wider system around it. Drinking-water safety begins before the treatment plant We often think of drinking-water safety as something that happens inside a treatment plant. It actually begins much earlier. If sewage enters a river, waste is dumped near a water source, a spring becomes contaminated or pollutants reach groundwater, the problem has already started. Treatment can reduce many risks. But preventing contamination at the source is usually better than allowing pollution to occur and then trying to remove it later. This is one reason environmental protection and public health cannot be treated as completely separate subjects. Healthy water systems support healthy communities. What should Jammu & Kashmir focus on? If we want healthier communities across Jammu & Kashmir, water policy cannot focus only on building pipelines. We need to think about the entire water cycle. 1. Protect drinking-water sources Springs, rivers, groundwater sources, lakes and reservoirs need protection from sewage, dumping and encroachment. 2. Test drinking water regularly Water should be tested for appropriate microbiological and chemical parameters, particularly where there are reasons to suspect contamination. And testing should lead to action when problems are identified. 3. Improve sewage treatment Untreated sewage should not become a future drinking-water problem. Better sewage collection and treatment are essential for both environmental protection and public health. 4. Protect groundwater Groundwater is invisible, which makes it easy to overlook. But contamination of an aquifer can be difficult and expensive to reverse. Protecting groundwater sources should therefore be a long-term priority. 5. Protect springs For many rural and mountain communities, springs can be important sources of water. Protecting the surrounding land and reducing contamination risks can therefore be just as important as maintaining the infrastructure that delivers the water. 6. Protect wetlands A wetland should not be considered vacant land simply because it hasn't been built upon. It is a form of natural infrastructure. 7. Make water-quality information easier to understand People deserve to know whether their local drinking-water source is being tested, what is being tested and what happens when a sample fails. Clear communication can help build public trust. What can we do at home? We cannot control the entire water system. But our everyday choices still matter. We can avoid dumping waste into drains and streams. We can stop throwing plastic into water bodies. We can avoid pouring oils, chemicals and other harmful substances into drains or water channels. And we shouldn't assume that a natural spring is automatically safe to drink from simply because the water looks clean. If your household depends on a private well, spring or another local water source, periodic water-quality testing can help identify problems that cannot be detected by sight or smell. And if you see sewage entering a stream or waste being dumped near a water source, reporting it to the appropriate local authority can help. Individual actions won't solve a regional water crisis on their own. But millions of careless actions can certainly make the problem worse. The water in our glass is connected to the landscape around us This is perhaps the part we forget most often. The water we drink isn't separate from the environment. The lake is connected to the river. The river is connected to the wider watershed. Groundwater is influenced by what happens on the land above it. Agriculture and sanitation can affect water quality. And public health is connected to all of these systems. Water is one interconnected system. If we protect only the tap but ignore the source, we are treating the symptom. If we clean only the lake while sewage continues entering it, we are treating the symptom. If we build treatment plants while allowing pollution to increase indefinitely, we are treating the symptom. The long-term answer is to protect the entire water cycle. Kashmir's water crisis isn't only about losing beautiful places When a lake shrinks, we lose an ecosystem. When a wetland disappears, we lose natural water-management capacity. When a spring becomes contaminated, a community may lose an important source of water. When sewage enters a river, the consequences can eventually move beyond the environment and affect people. And when communities lose confidence in their local water sources, families may have to spend more time and money finding alternatives. So perhaps the question isn't simply: “How do we save Kashmir's lakes?” Perhaps the bigger question is: “How do we protect the water system that helps keep Kashmir's people healthy?” This is a question for environmental experts. It is a question for doctors and public-health professionals. It is a question for engineers and policymakers. It is a question for farmers, businesses and local communities. And ultimately, it is a question for every person who turns on a tap and expects safe water to come out. At Ibn Sina Hospital, Budgam, we believe conversations about health should extend beyond the hospital walls. Because health is influenced not only by what happens when someone becomes sick, but also by the environment in which people live, work and raise their families. Protecting our water is an investment in our health. Because before water reaches our glass, it passes through the environment we choose to protect — or neglect.