This Eid let’s take pledge to protect our fragile environment

Amid festivities of Eid-ul-Fitr, we must take a pledge to protect our fragile environment. The Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir is facing ill-effects of climate change. The problem is compounded by haphazard development.

J&K has been facing erratic weather patterns and warmer winters. Prolonged dry spells have been taking a toll on glaciers and snow cover. Water bodies, springs and wetlands too are facing onslaught of haphazard development, pollution and encroachments.

Due to unplanned development, we are fast losing our agricultural land. Though Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stated in the Assembly that no land used for agricultural purposes shall be used for any non-agricultural purposes except with the permission of the District Collector, we have already lost a massive chunk of Agriculture to unplanned development.

In the race to construct roads and railway tracks, thousands of kanals of agriculture land have been buried alive! Srinagar Semi-Ring Road snakes through once fertile agricultural land. Who permitted constructions and coming up of colonies on agricultural land? We need to understand that with the loss of every inch of agricultural land, our food dependency increases.

As we celebrate Eid, we need to ponder over the destruction of our eco-system. Our Karewas in Budgam, Pulwama and Baramulla districts of Kashmir are facing vandalisation due to excavation of clay.  Locally known as Wuder, Karewas are flat-topped tablelands comprising silt, clay, sands and lignite beds. Unscrupulous persons and even construction companies are having a field day to vandalise Karewas as authorities have closed their eyes.

It is believed that the climatic and tectonic record during the last 1.6 million years is well preserved in the sediments of Karewas of Kashmir valley. Remnants of flattened Karewas are testimonies of failure of successive regimes to save Karewas which are repositories of geological and archeological treasures.

Illegal mining of rivers and streams are also taking a toll on our environment. Massive demand for construction material has led to an increase in illegal riverbed mining especially in Kashmir. Mining mafia uses heavy machines like JCBs and cranes for illegal mining, destroying streams, particularly in Kashmir.

While we celebrate Eid, we must recount the destruction caused by devastating floods in Kashmir on September 7, 2014. We need to remember when we helplessly saw our houses submerged!
What caused the floods? We would believe that floods were caused by incessant rains? It is wrong. It was official apathy and human greed which were responsible for the devastating floods.
Despite being one of the most flood hazard-prone regions in the Himalayas, there has never been comprehensive flood mitigation measures in place. Authorities allowed the filling of river Jhelum’s flood plains.

Spanning 175 sq kms from south to north Kashmir, Jhelum has lost its carrying capacity and floods plains. Its flat topography makes Srinagar the most vulnerable area to flooding in J&K. Wetlands on the left and right of Jhelum acted as reservoirs of the floodwaters. Ecologically important wetlands in the Jhelum floodplains like Hokersar, Bemina wetland, Narakara wetland, Batamaloo numbal, Rakh-e-arth, Anchar lake and Gilsar have been degraded due to rapid encroachment and urbanisation.

Ironically no major dredging has been done in Jhelum’s flood spill channel since 2014. How ironic it is that a large portion of the flood spill channel near Tengpora has been converted into a cricket field! The flood spill channel at Rambagh looks like a wetland now with overgrown grass, weeds and mounds of garbage dumps!

What served as an eye-opener on ill-effects of climate change was the vanishing of springs! In February this year, springs in Achabal, one of the famous Mughal gardens, in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, dried up—for the first time in history. Famous Aripal spring in Tral too vanished. These springs are major drinking water sources for thousands of families.

Though after a few days, these springs came to life again but not before teaching a lesson to people who take natural resources for granted. This prompted people in various villages to organise cleaning drives around springs, streams and canals.

As we make purchases for Eid, we need to self introspect while carrying items in polythene bags! These polythene bags choke our water bodies and pollute soil. Despite ban on use of polythene and single use plastics, sale of non-biodegradable products is going on unabated. If people of Ladakh can implement a ban on polythene, why can’t we? Our environment is at stake! We must as responsible citizens discourage use of polythene. We can use jute or cloth bags as carry bags and prevent use of polythene bags.

We must understand that J&K is an eco-fragile area prone to natural disasters. It has been gripped by climate change. Imagine J&K, blessed by glaciers, rivers, water bodies and forests, facing a rainfall deficit of over 80 percent this winter! No one will come to save our natural resources. We need to wake up and launch a sustained campaign to conserve our environment. We must make environmental conservation a public movement.

There is a need for sustainable development. We need to respect the carrying capacity of tourist destinations. On this Eid, let’s take a pledge to not only protect but respect our environment.

Author in Executive Editor, Greater Kashmir