Three Lives, One Warning

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09 May 2026

Three young lives lost in Bandipora, and with them rises a hard question: how many more tragedies will it take before safety becomes a public priority?

The drowning of three young men in the Jhelum at Chandergir in Bandipora is not merely a heartbreaking accident; it is a grim reminder of a larger and recurring failure that continues to haunt Kashmir’s relationship with its rivers and water bodies. Sohail Ahmad Dar, Adil Ahmad Dar, and Sameer Ahmad Dar left for an ordinary task and never returned home. In that cruel turn of fate lies the unbearable pain of three families, a village in mourning, and a society once again confronted with the cost of neglect. Official condolences have been expressed, rescue efforts were launched, and medico-legal formalities completed. But beyond the standard response that follows every such tragedy, a deeper truth demands attention. Rivers in Kashmir are not distant landscapes; they are woven into daily life. People work around them, cross them, wash in them, and depend on them. Yet public safety around these water bodies remains dangerously weak. There is little visible preparedness, almost no awareness, inadequate rescue infrastructure, and a shocking absence of preventive mechanisms in vulnerable spots. The Jhelum is central to Kashmir’s history, economy, and identity. But it is also a river that can turn unforgiving in moments. That reality cannot be left to chance, nor can safety be treated as an afterthought. Hazard signage, local rescue volunteers, emergency equipment, riverbank barriers in sensitive areas, and public education campaigns are not luxuries; they are necessities. If these measures remain missing, expressions of grief will continue to sound painfully hollow against the certainty of repeated loss. This tragedy in Bandipora should stir more than sorrow. It should trigger accountability. District administrations, disaster management authorities, and local bodies must identify high-risk river stretches and create a real, working safety grid. Villages located near vulnerable water channels must be equipped and trained, not merely sympathised with after disaster strikes. The deaths of these three youths must not be reduced to a passing headline. Their loss should force an urgent rethink of how Kashmir protects its people from preventable tragedies. Mourning is necessary, but action is overdue. If Jhelum has sent yet another warning, the government and society alike must finally listen.