03/09/2025
Tawi River: Lifeline of Jammu or Victim of Politics and Encroachment?
An Article by Maloop Singh
The Tawi River, originating from the Kailash Kund springs in the upper hills of Saoj Dhar, Ramnagar of District Udhampur, is not just a water body, but it is the very soul of Jammu. Flowing gracefully through the City of Temples, the river has nourished generations of Dogras, serving as their main source of water and livelihood. For the people of Jammu, the Tawi is revered as Suryaputri, with rituals and prayers offered at its banks during festivals and significant occasions. As a citizen of Jammu, I believe this river is not merely a resource, but a living inheritance that binds communities and memory. But beneath this sacred bond lies a troubling reality, decades of political manoeuvring, land grabbing, and ill-conceived development projects have endangered both the river and the communities around it.
Encroachments and Political Interests: After the 1990s, the Tawi began to face systematic encroachment. With the collusion of political leaders and administrative officials, large sections of its catchment area were illegally occupied. From my perspective as a citizen, it seems to me that regulatory institutions looked away just when the river most needed protection. Commercial structures sprang up on the land that once belonged to the river, narrowing its natural course. Instead of protecting the river, authorities in many cases facilitated diversions of its flow for private interests. One of the most striking examples is the diversion of Tawi’s natural flow near Bhagwati Nagar. The river splits into two channels, Nikki Tawi and Badi Tawi. Instead of preserving this natural hydrology, interventions redirected more of the flow toward Nikki Tawi, disturbing the balance. In my view as a resident, this engineered imbalance has turned seasonal rises into avoidable danger. This has had disastrous consequences, whenever water levels rise, the Tawi bridge at Belicharana suffers repeated damage, since that side was originally the main course of the river. The artificial diversion has made downstream areas like GGM Science College, Rajinder Nagar, Peer Kho and adjoining colonies vulnerable to flood like situations during monsoons. If this isn’t stopped, areas like Jammu University, Vikram Chowk, Gandhi Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Airport, Jewel, Talab Tillo, and many adjoining areas will be in grave danger in the near future.
Development Projects and Their Hidden Costs: The Tawi Lake Project, once hailed as a developmental milestone for Jammu, also carries unintended consequences. The construction of numerous pillars in the riverbed has obstructed water flow. Each pillar occupies around four feet of space; with 20 or more in place, the river loses nearly a hundred feet of free passage. Personally, I think any project that reduces a river’s flood cushion without rigorous, public hydrological scrutiny risks turning benefit into a hazard. This obstruction slows down floodwater, causing it to back up and inundate nearby urban areas. What was envisioned as a tourism boost has, ironically, created a man-made flood hazard.
Cultural Reverence vs Administrative Neglect: The contradiction could not be starker. On one hand, people of Jammu continue to worship the Tawi as Suryaputri, an eternal symbol of purity and sustenance. On the other, the river is being strangled by negligence, greed, and shortsighted planning. As a concerned citizen, I am convinced that true reverence for a sacred river must show up in policy, enforcement, and day-to-day governance—not only in rituals. What was once the pride of Jammu is now being reduced to a cautionary tale of how political motives and unregulated urbanization can endanger both heritage and habitat. Saving the Tawi requires more than rhetoric. It demands strict action against encroachments along the riverbanks. Speaking as a citizen, I believe scientific planning must guide every intervention, prioritizing ecology over political mileage and short-term optics. Restoration of natural river flows, instead of artificial diversions, and public awareness and community involvement, reinforcing the cultural and spiritual value of the river, are non-negotiable. The Tawi has given life to Jammu for centuries. If unchecked political interference and reckless urban expansion continue, the city risks losing not just its river, but also a vital part of its identity. As I see it, Jammu must decide: Will it honour Tawi as the eternal lifeline, or allow vested interests to turn her into a symbol of neglect and devastation?
