Don't Let Warwan Become a Waste Valley

On a recent visit to the breathtaking Himalayan valley, I saw a land rich in beauty but abandoned by governance. What Warwan needs is conservation, not concrete.

- Dr. Raja Muzaffar Bhat

I recently visited Warwan valley, tucked deep in the Marwah subdivision of Kishtwar district. Although it's in the Jammu division, the road to Warwan passes through Anantnag in Kashmir, going via Kokernag, Vailoo, Matigawran, and the beautiful Margan Top.

It's a long journey, but the moment I stepped into the valley, I felt I had entered a forgotten world.

Warwan has around 14 villages, home to ethnic Kashmiris who have lived there for at least two centuries, probably more.

Local sources estimate the population is about 14,000 today, nearly a 50% increase from the 2011 census.

Though it was granted tehsil status some years ago and falls under the Inderwal assembly segment, you wouldn't know it from the condition of the place.

There's no direct road from Kishtwar to Warwan, even though it's only 68 kilometers away. The Marusudar river flows through the valley, born from the Batkot and Gumbar streams. It's one of the most important right-bank tributaries of the Chenab.

The water is pure, the air crisp. But everything else, like basic healthcare, sanitation, electricity, internet, is either broken or missing altogether.

You wouldn't think this place had been part of India’s “Digital India” campaign.