J&K villagers clean spring as green tradition

IN the scenic village of Panzath in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district, a centuries-old tradition continues to unite communities for environmental conservation to clean a natural spring named Panzath.

- FAYAZ WANI @ Srinagar

Every May, villagers from 45 surrounding communities gather at Panzath Nag, a vital spring that provides drinking water and irrigates paddy fields around 45 villages across south Kashmir’s Qazigund area, for a day-long cleaning and fish-catching festival.

According to some local residents, Panzath Nag has derived its name from the Kashmiri term ‘Paanch Hath’ or ‘five hundred’; the spring once fed numerous smaller water sources in the region. Spread over 1.5 kilometres, it is not only a lifeline for agriculture but it also provides drinking water to many villages.