By: Malik Mushtaq
Khag (Budgam): Residents of Khag Bugam have urged authorities to prevent any diversion of the irrigation water sourced from the Nara Nag, locally revered as Baba Dawood Khaki Nag.
This pond, deeply embedded within the forests of Budgam district, holds significant religious and historical value and is a crucial irrigation lifeline for the area, sustaining thousands of kanals of agricultural land in Khag.
For decades, this water source has bolstered local farming, supporting productivity across Khag’s agricultural lands. However, locals now voice concerns over potential plans to redirect the water supply to lower belt areas, a move they fear could severely compromise Khag’s existing irrigation network. They propose that the lower belt regions, instead, utilize water from the nearby Tousa Madan stream.
Water scarcity has long strained relations between Khag and surrounding areas, notably Fajipora and Chapora, where disputes over access to Nara Nag’s waters have escalated during dry spells. In 2000, following years of tension, a formal agreement designated Nara Nag’s water exclusively for Khag’s irrigation needs, acknowledging both its capacity and the area’s reliance on its resources.
Community members now call on the irrigation department to respect this agreement and maintain Nara Nag’s water flow for Khag. “Diverting this water would devastate our agriculture and lead to losses we can’t bear,” said a local farmer. They urged officials to recognize the critical importance of preserving Khag’s water rights, hoping for a swift intervention to ensure the region’s agricultural sustainability.
