Liquid Lores: Reading Amna Mufti’s Paani Mar Raha Hai (Water is Dying) as Hydrofiction
Journal Title: Qlantic Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities - QJSSH - Year 2026, Vol 6, Issue 1
Abstract
Hydrofictions, as theorized by Hannah Boast, examine the cultural, social, ecological, and political perspectives on water and provide a lens through which the element of water in literature can be studied. This research article aims to analyze Amna Mufti’s Paani Mar Raha Hai (Water is Dying) (2018) as a specimen of hydro fiction as it employs a quasi-magical realist narrative to delve into the ramifications of human meddling with the natural course and flows of water. In doing so, mufti’s narrative partakes in concerns of the Anthropocene regarding the misuse, scarcity, spoilage, and misappropriation of water and, above all, the political ecology of its unequal distribution. This paper employs the theoretical framework of hydrofictions proposed by Hannah Boast to argue that in the novel, water emerges as a central metaphor, a symbol of nature's resistance in the face of human greed. In the novel, water is not just a marginal ecological concern but an active force shaping the lives of characters and changing the order of reality. In aligning the mufti's novel with Boast's groundbreaking theorization of water in literature of the Anthropocene, this research contributes to a broader discourse on environmental literature in South Asia, paving the way for further studies in hydrofictions and water narratives in Pakistani literary and sociopolitical contexts.
Authors and Affiliations
Meerab Humayun Noor Ul Qamar Qasmi
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP758934
- DOI 10.55737/qjssh.vi-i.25289
- Views 5
- Downloads 0
Effects of Time Management on Male Students’ Academic Achievement
Time management plays a key role in a person's success. Relevant literature established that a relationship exists between time management and the academic achievement of students. The study focused on the undergraduate...
Policies and Practices of Human Rights Education at Higher Education Institutions in Sindh
The research study was conducted with the purpose of finding the policies and practices of human rights education within higher education institutions (HEIs) in Sindh, Pakistan. Utilizing a qualitative research approach,...
Analysis of the Influence of Domestic Violence Severity on the Emotional States of Non-working Women in Sialkot
Violence against women is widely acknowledged as a severe violation of human rights and a significant public health issue with profound physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health consequences. The purpose of curre...
The Impact of Team Mental Models on Project Team Performance through Information Utilization
This paper attempts to understand this relationship in the IT industry of a developing country like Pakistan - by considering team mental models, information utilization, and project team performance. The study uses a sa...
Nexus between Despotic Leadership, Faculty Performance, and Faculty Behavior: A Case of a Pakistani Public University
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of despotic leadership on the output of university faculty members. The study was conducted by using a mixed methods technique in accordance with the pragmatism paradigm....