Natural Swimming Pool: Breathtaking Beauty of Kuz Dub

Perhaps, I wouldn't have written this blog post if the remnants of the bygone days were there in the ruins of the once lively natural swimming pool in Chino Baba area of Kanju, Swat. Each feature of the decay told a story of its own, of a gradual transformation from a well-loved oasis to an untamed relic.

 

Inspiration in the Ruins of the Natural Swimming Pool: Its Timeless Allure

The dry bed of this natural artifact of the past was more than just a decayed structure for me. Here, I could see the stories, memories, and emotions of different times in its canvas. The crisp and clear water of the natural swimming pool, once meticulously maintained, gave way to plants beside its edges and attracted rich aquatic life. We swam in the depths of the natural swimming pool during the summer season and enjoyed its serenity at other times. It also recalled me a drowning episode, which I narrowly escaped with the help of my elders. 

The remnants of this ideal sanctuary until very recently revealed the once blended story of its harmony with the environment that provided chemical-free oasis, where nature and human leisure coexisted. The allures of the untouched relic evoked the feelings of loss and wonder. It was a powerful reminder of an era, an invitation to consider the possibilities for its future. It spoke of  silence and solitude in its quiet decay, and also reminded the passage of time, the beauty of imperfection, and the inevitable return of nature.

Legacy of the Past: A Rich Cultural Heritage

Unfortunately, its levelling with the ground through soil filling put an end to the past grandeur of the natural swimming pool. The owners of the fields even encroached upon the stream by restricting it to a narrow water channel. The site was so torturing that I preferred to have drowned in it that day, so that it may not remind me of the unique appeal that the natural swimming pool evoked in the remnants with a sense of melancholy - the images of laughter, of building sand castles by its sides, and sunlit memories. 

It wasn't only the emptiness but also of what once was. There was something universally fascinating about the way time changes things that were symbols of prosperity and leisure. It served as a metaphor for life’s impermanence. The visual contrasts once bright and now covered in grime told a story of forgotten moments; while the hollow echoes of these empty spaces captured a sense of lost time, and reminded that beauty is no longer about perfection; it’s about the raw, honest portrayal of age, wear, and abandonment. 

Hence, these desolate sites captured the imagination and served as powerful metaphors to symbolize lost innocence, the fading of youth, or a society’s shifting values, in its silent solitude to bear witness to the passage of time and communicate the feelings of isolation, nostalgia, and reflection of a narrative about the fragility of time and memory. 

New Life Pool Solutions: 

The surroundings of the natural swimming pool changed over time, but still added to its haunting beauty. The once vibrant lawns had become overgrown with weeds, as if, nature provided an opportunity to reclaim what humans abandoned, creating a landscape that is equal parts poignant and mesmerizing.  The natural swimming pools could have been given new life by the abundant water resources in the area to mitigate environmental concerns and provide a fresh, positive impact on the local residents. However, nothing was done to breathe new life into them.

Breathtaking Natural  Swimming Pool:

We called it Kuz Dub, because it was situated at the lower (Kuz) end of the other natural swimming pools on the stream from Sham Baba mountains. It was a breathtaking natural swimming pool. Nature adorned the entire earth of Chino Baba around this blessed pool on the face of summer season. In the height of summer, the natural swimming pools were places filled with laughter and the smell of sunscreen. 

People gathered to the natural swimming pools and enjoyed the serene environment until late in the evening. It emerged out to be a fascinating landscape in summer season. The spellbinding beauty of the plains and the spectacular hazy blue mountain ranges covered with thick forests around it, was a feast to the eyes.

Tragic Story of the Natural Swimming Pools:

How they met an unfortunate end, is a tragic story, as they were not vulnerable to environmental shifts, like droughts, floods, landslides, and earthquakes. The nature itself protected it by the marshy buildup of the area of Chino Baba. There were no potential catastrophic disruptions on its ecosystem health, which relied on a delicate but strong balance between plants, water, and wildlife. Unlike conventional or traditional pools, where chemicals and machinery keep issues in check, these natural swimming pools used plants, gravel, and biological filters to purify its water naturally.  

In fact, everything around the marshland of Chino Baba seemed to be in sync with the surroundings. Neither the flood debris damaged its filtration system, nor were the earthquakes responsible for wreaking havoc on it or cracking its structure. Its filtration system remained intact, as if, nature had carefully designed the ecosystem within it to keep it safe from upsets. Then why they transformed from harmonious havens into the scenes of devastation  is what may strike your minds like me as a disaster. 

Unfortunate End to the Swimming Pools:

Though, this home of springs was less vulnerable to environmental changes. There seemed the nature itself protected the area by not allowing constructions or encroachments on it. Therefore, it lasted comparatively long time. But how long it could have withstood the burden of the changes? The natural swimming pools had to yield in to environmental meltdown by over harvesting, wood cutting, encroachments and waste marble powder. Taking undue advantage of the water resources, marble factories mushroomed in the area. 

The waste marble powder (WMP) in large patches directly entered the precious water resources and accumulated in the stream. The unfiltered marble powder, which was produced as a byproduct in large quantities, being indisposed with innovative techniques to recycle them, filled the water resources and imposed serious threats to ecosystems, physical, chemical and biological components of the environment. 

Thus, it brought an unfortunate end to the natural swimming pools, the fishes and other aquatic lives, vanished in the waste marble powder, with time. Yet, it told the tale of loss, of a vision interrupted, still remaining a potent reminder of nature's resilience. The relics, which were once the centers of activity and relaxation, held a piece of history. However, after the construction of a bypass through the marshes. The owners of the fields around the area began to fill the marshes for agriculture and urbanization. They even impinged upon the stream and springs, even trying to close the public ways through their fields.

No Second Life for Environmental Assets:

In developed countries, there are evolved urban spaces to repurpose or restore abandoned natural spots, which are a cultural treasures and its restoration bring them back to life. Or its sustainable reuse can transform these spaces into community hubs or environmental assets. So, they find a second life by its preservation and reuse, to become leisure spots, community gardens, or even water reservoirs. 

However, nothing like such was done for these symbols of joy, leisure, and refreshment.  They were left abandoned and overgrown and then they undergone a haunting transformation. The imagination they captivated with their quiet emptiness and haunting beauty are an eerie reminders of prosperity lost and times changed.

Environmental Considerations: The Double-Edged Nature of a Ruined Pool

The natural swimming pools were gentle and had soothing effect on the areas around it. The children used to swim in its depths. The people caught fishes in the stream. Now they can pose real environmental challenges. The stagnant waters around it are become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other pests, which can bring health risks to the local communities. Additionally, the runoff from decaying structures can leach into the ground, affecting soil quality and nearby ecosystems.