Shirmal Shopian residents clean irrigation canal
Say officials never bothered to clean-up the canal
Shopian: In a compelling show of community effort and resilience, residents of Shirmal Heff village in south Kashmir’s Shopian district have taken it upon themselves to clean a major irrigation canal that had been left silted and neglected by the concerned authorities for years.
Facing mounting difficulties due to the blocked canal, which is crucial for irrigating orchards and agricultural land in the area, dozens of villagers—armed with spades, shovels, and a strong sense of responsibility—undertook the task of de-silting it manually.
“The irrigation canal had not been cleaned for several years. Despite repeated requests to the irrigation department, no action was taken,” said Abdul Gani, a local orchardist.
“We depend on this water for our apple orchards, but every year we suffer due to water scarcity. This time we decided enough is enough,” he added.
The affected canal irrigates hundreds of kanals of land, which includes apple, cherry, and other fruit orchards—the backbone of the local economy.
Farmers said that their produce and income had been suffering due to water shortage caused by the choked canal.
“We approached the authorities several times, submitted written requests, but there was no response,” said Javaid Ahmad, another local farmer.
“With the heat at extreme level and no help in sight, we had no option but to take the matter into our own hands,” he added.
Residents say that a few hours of collective work over a couple of days led to the clearing of major silt and debris, allowing water to flow freely again.
They, however, questioned the lack of government response, especially when water resources are so crucial to the agrarian economy of Kashmir.
“The administration must realise that farmers are suffering. If we can clean the canal with our bare hands, what’s stopping the government from deploying machinery and manpower?” questioned Ghulam Rasool, a senior citizen from the village.
Locals are now urging higher authorities to take serious note of the issue and ensure timely desilting and maintenance of irrigation canals in the future.
They have also appealed for permanent and systematic canal management so that farmers are not forced to repeat such arduous efforts every year.
