Kashmir Valley is witnessing one of the longest dry spells in the winter. It’s been more than 50 days of dry spell in the Valley. The absence of snow on the surrounding mountains, indicating the waning water bodies brings attention to the consequences faced by the fishermen community of Kashmir.
According to a fisherman, the dry spell has returned to Kashmir after a gap of 45 years, impacting their livelihood. He said:” We used to earn more than rupees 600 a day but it has become difficult now, we can hardly earn 100 or 200 rupees a day.” “Our ancestors depended on these lakes. They taught us to gather chestnuts and catch fish, which has become the only way of earning for us . Now, when we see the present day situation of Kashmir, we believe the community must find alternative means of earning a living,” said a fisherman Mohi-u-Din.
Ghulam Mohi-u-Din, bemoaned the decline in daily fish catches from 10 kgs to a mere one or two kgs, severely impacting their livelihoods. Muhammad Sultan, 47, from Kulhama village, stressed the community’s illiteracy and sole dependence on the job. He highlighted the adverse impact of increasing sewage on both the fishermen’s livelihoods and aquatic species. Sultan urged authorities to curb garbage disposal in nearby streams, contaminating the lakes in Kashmir.