Anantnag: The springs of Achabal Botanical Garden in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district suddenly swelled on Saturday evening, triggering panic among the locals who feared submerging.
However, much to their relief the water level has considerably decreased now. “We were sitting in the quarters of the botanical garden when the water suddenly went up in the springs,” an employee of the Floriculture Department told Greater Kashmir.
He said the springs were gushing with water and at one stage it seemed like it would submerge the entire garden.
“The water level started receding in the morning hours and was slowly inching back to normal,” an employee said. Locals said they remained up the entire night, made repeated visits to the garden fearing the water might creep into their houses.
“We have witnessed such phenomenon only once earlier in 1995,” said an elderly man Muhammad Shaban. Interestingly, that year a sinkhole developed in the Brengi stream and had then found its discharge at Achabal. That hole was later filled up with sand and boulders.
Twenty-seven years later, on February 11 this year another sinkhole emerged in the middle of the stream at Wandevalgam in Kokernag, barely a few meters away from the earlier hole disrupting the entire flow of the stream.
The 7-feet deep vertical hole gulped the entire water, leaving several kilometers of the downstream portion dry and killing the precious trout fish in large numbers.
It had also raised concerns among the farmers relying on the water of the Brengi stream, a major tributary of river Jehlum for irrigating their agricultural land. The efforts to divert the water had failed to yield any results with similar cavities surfacing nearby. The authorities finally decided to fill up the sinkhole.
“We have almost managed to fill up the sinkhole and the water is now flowing smoothly,” Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) Flood Control, Muhammad Saeed told Greater Kashmir.
He ruled out the sudden surge in water level in Achabal springs being due to the underground discharge of the sinkhole.
“The water level going up in the springs is a natural phenomenon and the sudden downstream flow might have contributed to it,” AEE said.
Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag Dr Piyush Singla, however, maintained that only the expert opinion will provide more clarity. “The National Institute of Technology (NIT) did an exhaustive tracer study and we are waiting for their final report,” DC said.
He said interesting things have come to the fore, regarding the springs and underground water channels due to the Karst topography of the area. “We will be able to share the findings once the report is submitted,” DC said.
Sinkholes are a natural phenomenon formed due to the gradual chemical dissolution of limestone rocks in the river. However, experts have suggested a geophysical and gravity survey to ascertain the path of the cavity underground river system and to prevent any disaster.