Srinagar, April 15 -- Another reason is the vanishing of streams. As a report in this paper points out, Bandipora and Baramulla, paddy fields lie dry and untended. These are not isolated stories. They are part of a larger state of affairs across the Valley.

Urban sprawl is part of the problem. The rapid urbanization aggravated by the prevailing political conflict in the region has triggered massive internal migration from the rural to urban centres. This has led to a horizontal expansion of the capital Srinagar and the major and small towns. The urban population which in 2001 was 24.81 percent shot up to 27.37 percent in 2011. Srinagar has witnessed the most influx of the internal migrants.

According to the 2014-15 J&K economic survey, ...