Waking up to environmental challenges
The weather patterns in from past one and a half month here have adversely impacted the crops. Frequent hail storms, incessant rains and dip in mercury have impacted the flowering of cherry, apple and other horticulture produce, vegetables and even the paddy saplings. Those involved with horticulture and agriculture sector are disturbed having no idea how they are going to cope up with the changing weather scenario.
The humankind’s burgeoning understanding about the biological sciences along with their co-relation with other spheres of physics and allied sciences have altered the landscape of human perceptions so drastically that one is forced to think in terms of issues and challenges which were no concern for us, may be only a few decades back. Today however, global warming, increasing continental drift, rising sea-level, ozone depletion, desertification of arable lands and forests, increasing salination of portable water et al are a few instances about which there is developing an increasing popular consensus across cultures to have some kind of joint obligations so that mankind is not forced to a point of self-annihilation. With public opinion increasingly turning in favour of more environment-friendly development, it is the governments which will have sooner or later to follow the suit.
Nature has created this earth or even for that matter the extra-terrestrial elements like sun and moon and other stars and planets and also their affects and influences on earth – be it in the form of heat and light or magnetic pull for instance – in such a manner that there exists a delicate balance between them. And there is not only the scientific evidence but human beings too have witnessed that once this balance is disturbed, there is chaos; and God forbids, there is death and destruction.
Imagine what will happen if the delicate balance between the earth and the sun – let’s presume in terms of their movement and hence location vis-a-vis each-other – is disturbed? It shouldn’t be difficult to anticipate the kind of disturbances the same would trigger everywhere. Obviously the ramifications can only be imagined – most of the mankind would not be alive to observe and document the CHANGE that will be set in motion if such a disaster ever happens. To sum up one can say that there is a marked balance, some kind of equilibrium, some steadiness, some poise in and between everything that forms our immediate as well as distant ambience and environment. As long as this balance is appreciated and respected, there is harmony around for the humanity to enjoy the bounties of nature’s wondrous generosity. However, once owing to our material greed or for some other reason, we start poking in our nose to disturb this harmony, there is every possibility of the same ‘kind nature’ training its proverbial guns at us. If we don’t appreciate this importance of ecological balance and continue fiddling with nature, our forests and water-bodies in particular, the day is not far off when Kashmir will no longer be same.
Kashmir, which has traditionally been known for its lush forests and salubrious environs, is fast loosing these attractions. The glaciers that have been the storehouses of Kashmir’s only abundant resource, the water, too are shrinking fast. Indeed if findings of the recent glacial studies that have been conducted in the Himalayan region are taken as indicator, one can say it without any fear of contradiction that the impact of global warming is certainly impacting Kashmir and its climate and all aspects of human geography in a real big way. But unfortunately thus far, not only the common people but even the government agencies have done precious little to salvage at least some if not all the damage. Time is to wake up to the challenge.
