Anantnag, May 17, May 18 -- 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 surrou...