The Biz Reporter
The Environmental Policy Group (EPG) has repeatedly urged the government and its line departments to take urgent, coordinated action to address the deepening environmental crisis in the Kashmir Valley, calling for the support of policymakers, planners, legislators and domain experts to implement expert-backed recommendations in the larger public interest.
According to the EPG, Kashmir’s natural environment has suffered massive degradation over the past few decades due to deforestation, loss of water bodies, vandalisation of natural resources and unchecked dumping of solid waste. In urban centres, foul odours and rising air pollution have assumed the proportions of a public health emergency, threatening the well-being of tens of thousands of residents. The Achan solid waste dumping site in Srinagar, the group says, is a glaring manifestation of this crisis.
The EPG has also flagged the continued mismanagement of wetlands, lakes and rivers—key aquatic assets of the Valley—resulting in ineffective conservation. It points out that soil and muck from wetlands are being sold to raise maintenance funds, while illegal and unplanned construction, mountain cutting, and the conversion of agricultural and forest land for commercial or residential purposes have created a serious ecological imbalance.
Of particular concern, the group notes, is the degradation of the globally acknowledged Guryul Ravine Permian–Triassic Fossil Park at Khonmoh, as well as fossil-bearing sites at Mandakpal, Barus and Pastun (Tral). These sites, the EPG alleges, have fallen victim to illegal mining activities, with fossil-rich material being used for construction. Instead of being developed as a fossil park of international importance, the area adjoining the site has witnessed large-scale destruction through the use of heavy machinery for mountain cutting.
Institutional weaknesses further compound the problem. The EPG observes that the Forest Department and Wildlife authorities are top-heavy, with a large number of field-level posts lying vacant, while shortages of trained personnel and inadequate financial resources undermine effective management and enforcement.
Highlighting the urgency of the situation, the EPG has outlined a set of immediate measures. These include declaring air pollution, water contamination and untreated solid waste management a public health emergency, backed by time-bound action plans and dedicated budgetary support; enhancing allocations for the conservation and management of rivers, lakes, wetlands and other water bodies; and reviving and fully implementing the long-pending Wetland Management Action Plans.
The group has also sought a dedicated allocation of Rs 10 crore for the conservation and development of the Guryul Ravine Permian–Triassic Fossil Park at Khonmoh. Citing the elevation of Jammu and Kashmir and the Himalayan arc to the highest Seismic Zone-V under the National Seismic Hazard Map of the Bureau of Indian Standards, the EPG has cautioned the government against environmentally degrading projects, urging it to draw lessons from disasters witnessed in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and the Ramban area.
Among other recommendations, the EPG has called for strengthening the Forest and Wildlife Departments by filling vacant posts and rebalancing their organisational structures with trained officials. It has also demanded an immediate halt to the sale of wetland soil
