JOINT : 3rd PRIZE WINNER- DAIDA 2020 GLOBAL THESIS AWARD
Jamia Millia Islamia, India
The ingenious system of irrigation, flood prevention and water management developed by the past generation has helped flood-prone regions across the world to sustain through the ages with water becoming an integral element of their cultural landscape. Such traditional wisdom can also be seen manifested in the landscape of the Western Himalayas, specifically the bowl-shaped Valley of Kashmir in India. The indigenous practice of making khuls (traditional waterways) is an extensive system of irrigation and water navigation made by diverting water from the source stream through small interwoven canals.
Bottom: How a restored waterway can act as an inclusive liveable space for the neighbourhood of the old city (Shahre-Khas) of Srinagar
 Bottom: Part proposal of restored Mar Khul connecting the fragmented water system of Srinagar |
Water has contributed significantly to the growth of the region in the otherwise landlocked area
The intricate human relationship with water has allowed Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir, to emerge as a distinct cultural and economically prosperous civilisation in the past. According to a historic source (Nilmata Purana) the entire landform of the region has emerged from the water; it is because of this natural resource that Srinagar later emerged as an important trade hub on the erstwhile Silk Route. Water has contributed significantly to the growth of the region in the otherwise landlocked area; the products and services obtained from water made the region self-reliant in food and other supplies. The overall human interaction for cultural, religious and economic purposes was significant in the past, however, the human-water linkage started to loosen as the water system decayed. In the present scenario, minuscule interactions withstand. Today, the water system has fallen into disuse and is continuously swallowed by urbanisation pressures. The isolated vision to the water system adds more complexities and degenerative layers.
My research primarily focuses on having a holistic view of the water system and makes the following suggestions:
1. Measures to enhance the human relationship with the water system.
2. Identify and create strategies for restoration of lost water linkage (Mar Khul in the old city core of Srinagar).
All Illustrations: Syed Suhaib Naqshbandi
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