The pristine Sindh Nallah, a vital ecological artery of Ganderbal district and an important freshwater source for trout farming, is facing deterioration in water quality due to the discharge of untreated sewage, according to a comprehensive status report submitted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) before the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

The CPCB report has identified elevated contamination levels at three key stretches of the waterway—Kangan Akhal Bridge, Shutkadi Bridge downstream of Sonamarg and Sindh Nallah at Sonamarg. The pollution has been attributed to untreated domestic sewage entering the water body through multiple municipal and commercial drains.

The report was submitted in compliance with directions of the NGT in proceedings concerning pollution of the Sindh Nallah and its potential impact on the trout habitat in the area.

The latest findings are based on water samples collected during an extensive CPCB field inspection conducted on May 4, 2026.

The NGT proceedings were initiated against the backdrop of a Greater Kashmir report titled “Sindh Nallah Polluted Trout Habitat Threatened in Ganderbal”, published on August 19, 2024. The Tribunal has been examining pollution in the Sindh Nallah and its impact on trout fish farming, with the waterway being an important source of freshwater for trout farming in the region.

The investigation was ordered to assess environmental risks in Ganderbal district, particularly the potential impact of water contamination on the area’s vital trout-farming ecosystem.

During its May 4 inspection, the CPCB collected 11 water samples, including seven from different locations along the Sindh Nallah and four from drains discharging into the waterway.

According to the CPCB report, all seven river sampling locations complied with the designated best-use criteria for propagation of wildlife and fisheries under Class D.

However, three locations—Kangan Akhal Bridge, Shutkadi Bridge downstream of Sonamarg and Sindh Nallah at Sonamarg—failed to meet the Class B and Class C criteria due to elevated total coliform levels.

Other parameters tested at these locations, including pH, dissolved oxygen and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), were found to be within the prescribed limits.

The microbiological analysis of the drains feeding the Sindh Nallah, however, revealed particularly high levels of contamination.

The CPCB recorded faecal coliform levels ranging from 2×10⁴ to 29×10⁷ MPN/100 ml in the four identified drains. BOD levels in the drains ranged from 6 mg/l to 118 mg/l.

The CPCB said the levels indicated the discharge of untreated sewage into the Sindh Nallah, highlighting the continuing pressure on the waterway from inadequately treated domestic wastewater.

The report also flagged operational gaps in sanitation infrastructure at Sonamarg. During the inspection, the proposed 1.2 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) was found to be incomplete and had not yet become operational.

Officials of the Sonamarg Development Authority informed the CPCB team that at least two additional months would be required to make the facility operational.

The delay in commissioning the STP assumes significance as untreated sewage continues to enter the Sindh Nallah through drains, with the CPCB findings showing high faecal coliform and BOD levels in the inflows.

The CPCB has recommended that the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (J&K PCC) issue immediate directions to ensure zero discharge of untreated sewage into the Sindh Nallah.

It has also recommended continuous monitoring of water quality to track contamination and help protect the fragile high-altitude river habitat.

The findings have renewed concerns over sewage management in settlements along the Sindh Nallah, particularly in and around Sonamarg and Kangan, where the waterway has ecological importance and supports trout-farming activities.

The CPCB’s recommendations now place greater emphasis on preventing untreated sewage from entering the nallah and ensuring that sanitation infrastructure, including the proposed STP at Sonamarg, is completed and made operational without further delay.

Srinagar, Aug 27: Kashmir’s summer is set to end with a brief heat spell, as the Meteorological (MeT) Department forecasts temperatures to rise toward 35 degrees Celsius in the Valley plains over the next few days.

Friday and Saturday are expected to be the hottest days.

Srinagar recorded 32.9 degrees Celsius on Thursday.

Kupwara recorded 33.3 degrees Celsius and Qazigund 32 degrees Celsius.

Kokernag recorded 31.7 degrees Celsius, Pahalgam 27 degrees Celsius and Gulmarg 24 degrees Celsius.

Jammu city recorded 35 degrees Celsius and Katra 32.7 degrees Celsius.

Banihal recorded 30.1 degrees Celsius, Bhaderwah 30.2 degrees Celsius, and Batote 28 degrees Celsius.

The MeT has forecast dry and warmer weather through the end of August, mainly in the plains with showers at isolated places.

Higher reaches are likely to remain cooler.

A moderate summer

May was cooler, with temperatures mostly in the 20s and occasional days touching 30s.

The plains received mostly light to moderate rain, while higher reaches experienced frequent and intense, localised showers.

Some spells were more widespread, while isolated areas also reported hailstorms.

June and July remained moderate overall.

Cloud cover, rain, and wet spells kept temperatures in check, although both months saw brief heat spells.

However, the month of June ended with a brief heat spell lasting a few days. Srinagar touched 35.3 degrees Celsius on June 29 and 35.5 degrees Celsius on June 30.

July began relatively cool before a brief mid-month heat spell pushed Srinagar to 35 degrees Celsius on July 17 and 35.9 degrees Celsius on July 18, the season’s highest so far.

Temperatures eased afterward, with another short warm spell toward the end of July.

Rainfall during June and July was mostly localized, though some spells were widespread.

Intense showers also caused hailstorms, landslides, mudslides and flash floods in parts of the Valley and Jammu.

August stayed moderate

August was mostly dry, but temperatures remained moderate, generally around 30-32 degrees Celsius in the Valley plains.

Rainfall was largely confined to isolated, intense showers in higher reaches and brief light to moderate spells in the plains.

The late-August rise in temperatures is expected to be brief.

Cooler than 2025

The contrast with last summer is marked, as Kashmir witnessed prolonged heat spells in June and July.

Srinagar recorded 37.2 degrees Celsius on July 6, 2025, and 36.2 degrees Celsius on July 29.

June 2025 was the hottest June in Srinagar since 1978.

The city recorded an average maximum of about 33 degrees Celsius, nearly three degrees above normal.

For 10  consecutive days, temperatures crossed 34 degrees Celsius.

A prolonged dry spell and about 50 percent rainfall deficit contributed to the heat.

Even consecutive wet spells in late July and August did little to end the heat. Conditions remained largely hot and humid.

This summer, wet spells during May, June and July repeatedly checked temperatures.

Heat spells were brief, while August remained moderate despite mostly dry weather.

Srinagar’s seasonal high of 35.9 degrees Celsius was 1.3 degrees below last year’s 37.2 degrees Celsius peak.

Summer gives way to autumn

June, July, and August mark Kashmir’s summer period.

With August ending, the Valley is entering its seasonal transition.

Warm afternoons can persist through September, even as nights gradually become cooler.

The transition becomes more noticeable after September 21, with warmer days and cooler nights signalling the approach of autumn.

The shift strengthens through October as temperatures decline.

For now, Kashmir is set for one final late-summer heat spell after a significantly milder summer than 2025.