The recently noticed weather patterns in Kashmir indicate that something is seriously wrong with our overall environment. While both the government as well as the public remain unconcerned or least concerned, our forest cover is depleting, our water bodies are shrinking, our glaciers are melting and our air quality is deteriorating with every passing day. Take, for instance, Srinagar city, every nook and corner is dumped with garbage. The concerned authorities are yet to come up with scientific waste management system. See the condition of Dal lake. Billions of rupees have been spent on its conservation but has anything been achieved. It was spread over 2,547 hectares in 1971 and today it is just on almost 1600 hectares. Wular lake has been encroached upon, forest lands have been encroached upon and we and our respective governments watch silently.
In countryside, Kashmir Valley had abundant fresh water streams and rivers. Till late 80’s, people used to drink directly from these streams. Today, in some areas the streams have completely vanished and the ones that exist have turned into stinking drains. People dump all garbage particularly plastic waste into these streams and rivers. In 2008, J&K government banned polythene bags under the J&K Non-Biodegradable Material (Management, Handling and Disposal) Act, 2007. The ban remains confined to the papers only as no concrete steps were ever taken to enforcement the same. Fresh water streams have vanished and rivers (nallas) are constantly shrinking.
The brick kilns spread all over are adding to the pollution. Brick kilns, especially those using traditional FCBTK technology, emit particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and other pollutants. These pollutants can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases besides metals and other pollutants from brick kilns can contaminate soil, impacting plant growth and potentially entering the food chain. People, particularly from Budgam district, have been raising the issue but no one listens to them and no step is being taken to make brick kiln owners to move away from traditional kilns towards cleaner technologies like zigzag kilns which can significantly reduce particulate matter emissions.
See the condition of forests surrounding famed tourist resorts of Pahalgam and Gulmarg or for that matter the deteriorating condition of Thajwas glacier in Sonamarg. All the garbage in Gulmarg and Pahalgam is dumped in the jungle and as a result, the trees are rotting and drying up. In Sonamarg, unchecked vehicular traffic to Thajwas glacier has impacted its health terribly.
To save the environment from further damage, the government, that be, and the public have to join heads and hands. The governments should take concrete steps for waste management and should launch a massive afforestation drive besides retrieving forest land from encroachers. People on their part need to wake up and develop a habit of keeping their surroundings clean not just their homes alone.