Anantnag, May 17: Hundreds of people from several villages in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Sunday participated in the centuries-old Panzath festival, a unique community tradition focused on cleaning and preserving freshwater springs that serve as a major source of drinking water and irrigation in the region.

The annual festival was observed at the historic Panzath spring area near Qazigund, where villagers gathered in large numbers and entered the streams and spring channels carrying traditional baskets and fishing nets. While the event is locally associated with collective fish-catching activities, residents said its primary purpose is the cleaning and restoration of natural water sources that continue to sustain surrounding villages.
Participants manually removed weeds, mud deposits, waste material, and blockages from the spring channels to improve water flow and maintain the quality of the freshwater supply used for domestic consumption and agricultural irrigation.
“This tradition has continued for nearly 500 years,” local residents said, describing the festival as a community-led environmental conservation practice passed down through generations.
Panzath, renowned for its cluster of freshwater springs, derives its name from the term commonly interpreted as “500 springs.” The water bodies are considered a vital natural resource for villages in the Qazigund belt and play an important role in supporting local agriculture, especially paddy cultivation and orchards.
People from different age groups, including elders and youth, enthusiastically participated in the event, which also holds deep social and cultural significance for the local community.
Locals said the annual exercise helps preserve water quality and ensures smooth irrigation flow ahead of the peak agricultural season when demand for water rises significantly across the area.
The Panzath festival has historically witnessed participation from residents of multiple villages and continues to be regarded as one of Kashmir’s oldest and most remarkable examples of community-driven