Both the administration and the people must act together. Every problem has a solution, and with joint effort, windy evenings won’t cause fear anymore.
Manzoor Akash
Baramulla town in north Kashmir, once known as Varmul, is historically called the ‘Gateway to the Kashmir Valley’. The town, famous for many reasons, lies on the banks of the river Jhelum. Locally, people remember it for Sikh (the Sikh community), Seak (sand), and Soethe (mountains). But its importance goes beyond that. Baramulla is a mix of history, culture, and natural beauty. You will find some of Kashmir’s most scenic spots here. From the famous hill station Gulmarg, to Wular Lake—Asia’s largest freshwater lake—and to ancient Buddhist stupas, there is something for every traveller.
But how unfortunate! Even a lovely town like Baramulla has its flaws. We need to look closely at some of these issues. The biggest one is the stormy evenings during summer. All day, Baramulla is vibrant and active. But once evening sets in, fierce winds rush through the streets and the entire town. The worry is real for everyone living near the Jhelum, on either side. While people have adjusted to these stormy evenings over time, the danger is growing. If left unchecked, these winds could one day turn from a nuisance into a disaster.
No doubt, these gusty winds are natural, caused by the Jhelum river that flows through the town. But we must act before these evening storms turn deadly. We have seen what can happen. In Bihar, a powerful storm just recently caused massive destruction. We cannot afford to pay such a heavy price. The wise thing to do is to take precautions. History shows that humans have always faced natural disasters with courage. If we act in time, we can make these stormy evenings safe. And this is not just the job of the administration. Every person in Baramulla has a role to play. Every problem has a solution. If the administration and the people work together, the evenings may still be windy, but they will no longer be a cause for fear. In fact, people might even start enjoying them.
There is an old proverb: “The tree that bends with the wind does not break.” When a storm hits, trees don’t stand stiff. They bend. By being flexible instead of rigid, they survive the strong winds. Bending helps them avoid snapping. In other words, flexibility is what keeps them alive during overwhelming force. Nature has a lesson for us here. We should learn to work with nature, not against it. If we ignore nature or harm it, we may face serious consequences. The district administration has its role to play, and so do the people. Both must act responsibly.
Now let’s talk about how we can prevent these stormy winds from causing harm. Baramulla town is like a small valley. It is surrounded by mountains, so the strong winds get trapped. They can’t escape, and they don’t get weaker. That’s why they keep moving around the town in the evenings, raising dust and bothering people. People towards the Gulnar Park side do enjoy these evening winds. But the rest of the town is tired of them. Everyone is hoping for a solution to this serious problem.
In Baramulla town, the strong gusty winds usually come from the Khanpora and Khadinar side. These areas lie at the foothills of dusty mountains. Both the Khacher Company area and Khadinar are surrounded by dust. This is mainly because of stone crushers and quarries where rocks are extracted continuously. In the evening, the gusty winds carry this dust into the town and spread it across both banks of the river Jhelum.
Once these winds enter the town, they become even stronger. The tall, decades-old poplar trees inside Baramulla make the winds pick up speed and turn stormy. These poplar trees have never been pruned, let alone cut down. Many times, they have created problems for pedestrians, but we tend to ignore them. Sadly, we only pay attention when a tragedy or disaster actually happens.
We all know what happened last time in Khanpora Baramulla, when a huge landslide rolled down and not only blocked the Uri-Baramulla National Highway for days together but engulfed the whole of Khanpora in a dust storm. But alas! We never learn lessons. We have no more time to waste.
Come; let’s join hands to face challenges like these. I also humbly request our young and energetic Deputy Commissioner, Shri Syed Fakurdin Hamid Sahib, to look into two issues: First, please order the pruning or cutting of the old poplar trees in Baramulla town, which make winds stronger and more dangerous. Second, please take action to control the dust coming from the Khanpora and Khadinar mountains, which is caused by stone crushers and quarrying. Both actions will help reduce the stormy winds that trouble the town every evening. The sooner, the better.
The writer is a columnist with Kashmir Reader and the author of several books
ma*********@******co.in