Kashmir’s water bodies are dying. Collective responsibility can help 

By: Mohammad Amin Mir

Water bodies are running dry at an alarming rate due to groundwater depletion, reveals a study. Additional effects of groundwater depletion include subsidence—a sudden sinking of land—which increases the risk of floods.

Groundwater around the world is depleting rapidly, affecting the flow of rivers and streams, according to a new study. The research, which collected data from 1960 onward, projects the impact of unchecked groundwater pumping until 2100. Results indicate that unsustainable irrigation practices exceed replenishment rates, leading to significant agricultural losses in regions like India. Depleting groundwater also reduces river flows, threatening aquatic ecosystems.

By 2050, up to 79% of global watersheds—areas where water is stored from rain and ice melt—will exceed sustainable pumping limits. This jeopardizes aquatic ecosystems and global food security.

Published in the Nature, this study is the first to model groundwater depletion’s impact on rivers, lakes, and wetlands. It found that river flows in over 20% of regions with groundwater pumping—including India’s Upper Ganges and Indus basins—are already too weak to sustain healthy ecosystems.

By 2055, half of the world’s watersheds will surpass critical sustainability thresholds, worsened by climate-driven heat and drought. Tropical regions like Asia, Africa, and parts of Canada and Australia will face severe impacts.

Subsidence lowers land elevation, heightening flood risks in coastal cities like Chennai and Mumbai, where drinking water shortages already drive excessive groundwater pumping. Falling water tables raise extraction costs, inflating food prices and destabilizing economies.

Marginalized communities suffer disproportionately during droughts. Drying water bodies also degrade terrestrial ecosystems, triggering cascading effects: collapsing fisheries, declining bird populations (leading to pest surges), and disrupted food chains.

The study warns these projections may underestimate future demand due to population growth and resource-intensive economies.

Reduced snow and rainfall have lowered water levels across Kashmir’s water bodies. Achabal Spring in Anantnag has dried completely. While locals blame each other for river pollution, collective responsibility is key.

Public outcry over dying water bodies often overlooks individual accountability. Had communities acted earlier, this crisis might have been avoided. It is a wake-up call for all to protect local water bodies by preventing garbage dumping and supporting cleanup efforts. Grassroots action can ease the government’s burden.

As nature responds to stewardship, collective responsibility—and perhaps prayer—may yet restore balance.