Shopian, Sep 15: DobiKoul, GamlachiKoul and the gurgling Sangloo stream, which flow through the heart of south Kashmir’s Shopian town, are slowly losing their character as garbage, encroachments and unplanned development eat into their channels.
The streams, once a prominent part of the townscape, have been reduced in several stretches to narrow watercourses resembling drains, residents said, raising concerns over their ecological health as well as their utility during emergencies.
DobiKoul and GamlachiKoul are important sources of irrigation for orchards around the town. Residents also say the streams have traditionally provided an additional source of water during emergencies such as fires, when access to nearby water can be critical.
“Covering the stream with slabs will make it difficult to clean and maintain,” said Nazir Ahmad, a resident.
A stretch of GamlachiKoul has been covered with concrete slabs and converted into space for vendors, residents said. The move has further restricted access to the stream and, they fear, could make desilting and maintenance more difficult.
DobiKoul, which meanders through the town, faces a different set of problems. Household waste has accumulated along its banks and encroachments have narrowed the water channel at several points.
Residents say plastic bottles, polythene and other household waste are routinely dumped into or near the streams, obstructing the flow and degrading the waterways.
“These streams are already narrow at several places, and the waste makes the situation worse,” said Mohammad Yaqoob, a social activist from the town.
He said residents had repeatedly brought the condition of the waterways to the notice of the authorities, but little had changed on the ground.
“We have raised the issue several times with the authorities, but there has been no effective response,” Yaqoob said.
The Sangloo stream is also facing pressure from infrastructure works. The Jal Shakti Department has been laying water pipes through parts of the stream, residents said, further constricting its already limited flow.
“Plastic bottles, polythene and other household waste get trapped around these pipes, choking the flow of water,” Yaqoob said.
An official in the Irrigation Department said the issue of laying water pipes in the Sangloo stream had been taken up with the concerned authorities.
The official, however, did not say whether the department had received any response or whether any remedial action had been initiated.
The condition of the streams highlights a broader problem facing Shopian, where expanding construction and commercial activity are increasingly encroaching on traditional water channels.
Residents say the deterioration is not merely an environmental concern. The shrinking waterways could affect irrigation, particularly for orchards that depend on local water sources, while reducing the amount of accessible water available during emergencies.
For decades, the channels have formed part of the town’s natural drainage and irrigation network. Their gradual narrowing, residents said, has changed the way water moves through the town and left stretches vulnerable to blockage by solid waste.
The streams also carry a historical and social value for residents, who recall a time when the waterways were cleaner and more visible as they passed through the town.
Now, in several stretches, concrete slabs, structures, pipes and accumulated waste obscure the channels.
Residents and activists say the authorities need to map the existing watercourses, remove encroachments, ensure regular cleaning and prevent further construction or infrastructure works from narrowing the streams.
Without such intervention, they fear, the remaining stretches of DobiKoul, GamlachiKoul and Sangloo could continue to shrink until little remains of the waterways that once helped sustain Shopian’s orchards and town life.
