Opinion | Indian Army’s Mission to Restore Springs and Conserve Water

The revival of dried-up springs in Anantnag and Tral Pulwama, along with the dramatic transformation of Ganderbal district, is a result of the Army’s “Clean Kashmir, Green Kashmir” initiative.
Jammu and Kashmir has long depended on springs, lakes, and rivers for survival. They are not merely thirst-quenchers but decide the lives of humans, maintain agriculture, and are a part of culture. But over the years, urbanization, pollution, and global warming have taken their toll. Springs with bubbling fresh water have stopped, rivers are polluted, and numerous villages are struggling to have a clean supply of drinking water. The Indian Army has understood the gravity of the situation and has intervened, not as custodians of the land but guardians of its lifelines—its water bodies.
For centuries, small springs, known locally as “Naag” or “Nagbal,” were the hub of most Kashmiri villages. They were not just sources of water; they were where the elderly sat, farmers rested, and children played. Some were religious and historically significant, with generations of tales. But now, most of these springs are drying up or are too contaminated to use. Villagers who once depended on them have been forced to go long distances for water or use intermittent tanker supplies.
Realizing the enormity of the task, the Army, as part of Operation Sadbhavna, has adopted water conservation as its cause. Local populations, government departments like the Jal Shakti Department, and environmental NGOs, together with them, have set out to revive these dormant water sources. In Batera Panchayat on the outskirts of Akhnoor, for instance, the Army restored a spring that was decades old but had become a dumping ground. With the help of villagers, they cleared years of grime, put in filtration systems, and built a boundary wall to keep it clean again. Fresh water flows again, after years, and villagers no longer have to depend on outside sources.
In North Kashmir, especially in Kupwara and Baramulla, the Army’s effort has ushered in new hope. In the far-flung villages of Kupwara, Gujjar and Bakarwal tribes depend almost exclusively on springs for their nomadic way of life. One such source, the Gujjar Dhok spring, was on the verge of extinction due to lack of maintenance. The Army, in collaboration with panchayats, cleaned and restored it, so that these tribes have a constant source of water again. In Zandfaran village of Baramulla, a once pure spring had become a stagnant, algae-filled pond. An initiative by Army men, local youth, and environmentalists not only restored it but also resulted in the planting of trees around it to enhance groundwater recharge.
South of these places, at Anantnag and Pulwama, the Army has been involved in maintaining irrigation channels in working order. At Anantnag’s Nambal Naag, a centuries-old spring famous for the sweet water it produced had been losing its flow consistently. The Army, along with water conservation specialists, undertook the job of desilting it, clearing it of pollutants, and restoring its water pressure. At Pulwama, where agriculture is the main occupation of all families, the Army assisted in constructing small check dams and rainwater harvesting structures, and the outcome was that even during drier months, farmers have irrigation.
Ganderbal district has also been transformed dramatically due to the Army’s “Clean Kashmir Green Kashmir” initiative. In this case, the Army partnered with school children to desilt the Panzath Naag spring, which is one of the largest sources of water in the area. Teenagers, in gloves and protective gear, toiled with soldiers to clear away the debris, and the Army installed protective fencing to ensure that further pollution did not take place. Witnessing their own children take the lead in the conservation effort spurred many local families to join in, and the project was effectively a community project.
In the hilly landscape of Rajouri and Poonch, where water is a daily battle, the Army’s efforts have been nothing less than transformative. Several villages here have no proper water supply, and people have to live on uncertain rainfalls. The Army has set up rainwater harvesting systems in several villages, where there was no water before. In Poonch, their “Go Green” campaign went beyond water conservation—while restoring dried springs, they also planted trees to check soil erosion so that the land would be fertile for years to come.
In addition to such hands-on efforts, the Army has also introduced state-of-the-art technology, to extend their conservation. Solar-powered water pumps have been installed in far-flung areas, where electricity is not usually available. Filtration units have been installed in Army-run schools and hospitals, providing safe drinking water to soldiers and civilians. These are not stopgap measures; they are investments in the future.

The effects of these efforts can already be seen. Dry springs are once again flowing, easing the lives of thousands of individuals. Farmers, previously worried about water scarcity, now have dependable irrigation. Waterborne illness is on the decline in most regions, as clean drinking water becomes more accessible. And perhaps most significantly, these efforts by Indian Army have united people—villagers, students, and environmentalists, all working towards the conservation of a resource on which they all rely. Despite this, there is a catch. As sprawl occurs in cities, most revived water bodies are susceptible to encroachment again. Climate change, with its unpredictability of rain patterns, calls for water conservation more than ever. The Army understands that it is not enough to revive a spring; its upkeep is equally important. That is why they are developing long-term solutions—adopting stricter monitoring, working with more scientific organizations, and extending their conservation efforts to other sensitive areas. In Kashmir, where news headlines have been filled with too much violence, these stories say otherwise—one of cooperation, hope, and perseverance. The Indian Army’s commitment to saving water is not just conserving water resources; it’s safeguarding the future of those who depend on them. By combining tradition and technology and bringing people together for a common goal, they are ensuring that Kashmir’s rivers and springs will support generations to come.
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