Umaisar Gull Ganie
Kulgam, Dec 09: Once the heart of economic activity in the Valley, the water transport has suffered greatly over the decades across Kashmir.
One such example is Ghat Khudwani, located in Qaimoh belt of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district, which was once a major hub for the water transport business but has ended up in losing its heritage.
Historically, water transport in Kashmir was modernized by King Zain-ul-Abideen Budshah (1420–1470), who used to cruise the Jhelum in Paranda (an ancient boat). This tradition continued until 1947 when modern buses were introduced as the primary mode of commuting.
During the British era, the houseboats were used to cruise through the Jhelum to reach Wular Lake and Sindh River. Several Ghats along the banks of Jhelum served as stops for commuters.
Abdul Aziz Rah, a resident of Ghat village, shared his memories of a bygone era with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), when water transport was a lifeline for South Kashmir. “In my childhood, all the essential commodities were brought here, and our village was like a hub for everything,” he recalled.
“It was a two-way transport system. Goods were sent from here to Srinagar, and the boats would bring back items for trade across South Kashmir.”
Rah vividly described how the river Jhelum, once a bustling waterway, played a central role in the region’s trade and connectivity.
“The water transport stopped about five decades ago. I used to travel to Srinagar by boat when the Jhelum was full of water. Today, it’s almost 18–20 feet deep but completely dry and even a bird could walk through it.”
He further reminisced about the past, noting how Ghat village attracted hundreds of people, seeking livelihoods. “Back then, road transport was nearly nonexistent in South Kashmir. It would take two days to reach Srinagar from here and another four days to travel back from Srinagar because of the opposite water flow.”
According to Rah, the cessation of water transport on river Jhelum is primarily due to modernization. He lamented the loss of this eco-friendly mode of transport, saying, “Unlike road transport, the water transport was free of pollution and had no harmful effects on the environment.”
Mohammad Sidiq Nambardar of Qaimoh said that Ghat Qaimoh was once a thriving business hub for water transport. “Decades ago, even before the partition in 1947, this area was a key trading center. Road transport didn’t exist then, and all trade relied on boats connecting Baramulla, Srinagar, and Kulgam,” he said.
He lamented the current state of neglect, further exacerbated by the devastating 2014 floods. “Unfortunately, the area has been ignored for years, and the 2014 floods dealt another severe blow to the area,” he said, adding that the government must intervene to renovate the area and revive its lost heritage.
Talking to KNO, historian and poet Zareef Ahmad Zareef said that Jhelum, historically known as ‘Wyth Prawa,’ was once a hub of water transport. He said that water transport through Jhelum was easy and cost-effective, but it declined due to low water levels and the rise of road transport.
“Water transport existed in Kashmir during the reign of Lalitaditya and Awantiwarman. People used to travel from Khanabal (Anantnag) to Baramulla and further to Rawalpindi (Pakistan). This traditional mode of transport stopped in 1947 when road infrastructure began being developed during the era of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad,” he said.
Zareef lamented that water transport should never have been discontinued in Kashmir. “A few years ago, the government made an attempt to revive the water transport system, but its fate remains uncertain,” he said.
He added that if the government reintroduces water transport in Kashmir, it will reduce traffic congestion on the roads—(KNO)
