Qazigund, May 18 -- For ages, the residents in Panzath, a village in Qazigund belt of South Kashmir, have sustained the tradition of taking extreme care of their springs. It has gradually emerged as a local festival that is now attracted people from other villages also.

Armed with baskets and nets, villagers flock to the Panzath spring for the annual fish-catching ritual.

According to a local resident, Panzath represents 500 springs, including adjacent ones on the Pir Panjal foothills. The spring Panzath serves as a vital source of irrigation and drinking water for hundreds of families in Qazigund. Every year, before paddy cultivation begins, local residents clear the water body by removing silt and weeds to ensure proper irrigation.

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