Omar’s environmental challenges

When Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chaired a review meeting on winter preparedness recently, he expressed his concern about prolonged dry spell and depleting water levels in water bodies across Jammu and Kashmir. Besides heavy political baggage, Omar inherits a plethora of challenges confronting the eco-fragile environment of J&K.

In his first stint as Chief Minister, Omar had to deal with the horrific impact of climate change after devastating floods hit Kashmir in September, 2014. As water level in river Jhelum had begun to swell, Omar led from the front—personally monitoring rescue and relief operations, with most of his ministers and officers stranded in marooned houses.

On September 5, 2014, Omar ensured to save a three month old baby trapped in the upper storey of a house at Barzulla as flood water from overflowing Doodhganga entered it. With the civil secretariat inundated and limited resources, Omar spearheaded rescue and relief operations from a makeshift office at Gupkar and subsequently ensured rehabilitation of flood victims. During the deluge, Omar saw how natural disasters can spell doom and devastation.

A decade has passed since the devastating deluge and much water has flown down the Jhelum, but many lessons are yet to be learnt. Devastation of our natural resources continues unabated due to official apathy and public greed. Prolonged dry spell, rising temperatures and mostly dry winters in the last several years are serious indicators of climate change propelled by vandalisation of our eco-system. Erratic weather patterns have started to hit ecological balance and hit food, energy, and water security in J&K.

Omar as CM has to take lead in taking sustained measures to conserve natural resources and launching flood mitigation measures. Major environmental threat confronting Kashmir is floods. A decade on, not much has been done to increase the carrying capacity of river Jhelum or its flood spill channel.

Surrounded by mountains, Kashmir valley is one of the most flood hazard-prone regions in the Himalayas. Known as Kashmir’s lifeline, Jhelum, spanning 175 sq kms from south to north Kashmir, has lost its carrying capacity. The river’s flat topography makes Srinagar the most vulnerable area to flooding in J&K.

Wetlands on the left and right of Jhelum which acts as reservoirs of the floodwaters, are facing threats due to pollution, siltation and encroachments.
On September 7, 2014, a spree of cloudbursts and incessant rains led to overflowing river Jhelum, causing devastating floods. Jhelum crossed a record 23 feet at Ram Munshi Bagh gauge, while the level went over 36 feet at Sangam submerging localities on both sides of the river from south Kashmir to Srinagar. 

It is estimated that flood water measuring over one lakh cusecs surpassed the carrying capacity of Jhelum— causing massive devastation of property. In the last decade, authorities have been able to increase the river’s carrying capacity from 31,800 cusecs to 41,000 cusecs. Omar must ensure to increase pace for enhancing Jhelum’s carrying capacity to minimise damages in future floods.
Omar is aware that our glaciers are retreating fast. J&K houses one of the largest glaciers in the Hindu Kush region. Kolahoi, the largest glacier of Kashmir’s Jhelum Basin, is retreating rapidly due to a spurt in temperature triggered by global warming and extreme pollution.

Thajiwas, Hoksar, Nehnar, Shishram, and glaciers around Harmukh are melting too fast. Environmentalists blame unprecedented increase in temperature, deforestation, increasing human activities, constructions in eco-fragile zones and high levels of pollution caused by the emission of greenhouse gases by vehicles, brick kilns and cement plants for retreating of glaciers in J&K. Omar should ensure scientific measures to bring down the pace of melting of glaciers for sustaining lives and livelihood.

Kashmir’s Karewas are bearing the brunt of so-called development. In absence of regulation, unscrupulous persons and even construction agencies are openly destroying Karewas by wantonly excavating clay. Despite being treasure troves and repositories of geological and archeological treasures, Karewas are being razed to ground in the name of infrastructure development projects related to Railways and Highways. This has triggered soil erosion from Karewas and extensive siltation of the waterways and water bodies in Kashmir. Likewise, illegal riverbed mining is devouring flora and fauna in rivers and streams in J&K. This needs to be stopped.

Major water bodies especially Dal Lake, Wullar, Aanchar, Khushalsar and Gilsar are facing pollution, siltation and encroachments. Ecologically important wetlands like Hokersar, Haigam, Shallabugh, Narakara,  Rakh-e-Arth have been degraded due to rapid encroachment and urbanisation. In absence of proper planning, we are losing forests to roads and constructions. Even the centuries old Chinar trees are facing the axe to haphazard development. Most of our tourist destinations are bearing the brunt of unregulated tourist flow which surpasses respective carrying capacities of these eco-fragile areas.

Omar carries vast responsibility to take scientific measures for conserving J&K's fragile environment. It is time to conduct Environment Impact Assessment before execution of new projects to minimise damage to the environment. Disaster Management mechanism and response has to be strengthened and made prompt.

As a nature lover, Omar must know that damage to the environment is irreversible. Let’s work to prevent environmental disasters in eco-fragile J&K by working on sustainable development models. Let us all join hands to extend support to environment friendly initiatives of the government. Let's take a pledge to make J&K cleaner and greener; and restore it as a paradise on earth!

Author is Executive Editor, Greater Kashmir