For the Kashmir Valley, the Jhelum is not merely a river. Known as Vitasta in ancient tradition and Vyeth in Kashmiri, it is the primary drainage artery and civilisational foundation of the region.The meandering character of the River Jhelum is a natural product of its hydraulic regime and long geomorphological evolution within Kashmir’s low-gradient alluvial plain. Its sinuous course facilitates the distribution of water across the floodplain, sustaining irrigation, agriculture, settlements, wetlands, historically navigation and served as a route for trade, transport, and cultural exchange. Thus, its meanders are not merely an impediment, but an integral feature of the Jhelum as a living river system. Its physical health is inseparable from the ecological and economic security of Kashmir. 

History provides an enduring lesson regarding this relationship. During the reign of King Avantivarman between 855 and 883 CE, his celebrated engineer and minister Suyya accomplished one of the most remarkable hydraulic works in Kashmir history. Suyya cleared obstructions from the Vitasta channel, regulated its flow, raised sturdy embankments, dug drainage channels, and built an extensive irrigation network. By draining waterlogged land and expanding cultivation, these interventions improved agricultural productivity while mitigating recurrent flooding. 

Suyya’s genuine achievement lies in his underlying principle. He visualised the river as an interconnected hydraulic landscape in which the primary channel, mountain tributaries, drainage canals, wetlands, floodplains, and agricultural fields performed complementary roles. Twelve centuries later, modern Kashmir needs to rediscover this integrated principle. 

The devastating deluge of September 2014 exposed the cost of abandoning this holistic outlook. The Jhelum........

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