SRINAGAR – In a significant move to highlight the deepening environmental crisis in Jammu & Kashmir, the Environmental Policy Group (EPG) on Wednesday met with M.Y. Tarigami, Chairman of the Legislative Assembly Committee on Environment, to deliberate on a wide range of ecological and governance issues affecting the Kashmir region.
The EPG delegation comprised Faiz Ahmad Bakshi (Convenor), Dr. M.M. Shuja (Co-Convenor), and Er. Ajaz Rasool (Governing Council Member). The meeting focused on the urgent need for policy interventions, scientific planning, and multi-agency coordination to safeguard Kashmir’s fragile ecosystems and environmental heritage.
Key Environmental Threats Raised
The EPG members raised grave concerns over the degradation of vital water bodies including River Jhelum, Wular Lake, Manasbal Lake, Haigam, Shallabugh, Narakara, Aanchar, Khushalsar, Gilsar, Padshahi Canal, Brari Nambal, Chuntkul, and other interconnected lakes and wetlands. These water systems, they said, not only define the Valley’s hydrological balance but also carry immense ecological and cultural significance.
The delegation expressed alarm at the unchecked and unregulated minor mineral extraction from rivers in Baramulla, Budgam, Bandipore, Ganderbal, Pulwama, and Shopian districts, which is severely impacting aquatic ecosystems and altering river morphology. Rivers such as Rambiara, Romshi, Sindh, Sukhnag, Kunzer, and Ferozpore were specifically mentioned as being under severe stress due to indiscriminate mining.
The EPG also highlighted serious violations in environmentally sensitive areas under LCMA jurisdiction, especially in Dara, Khimber, and Chatterhama, where encroachments, illegal constructions, untreated sewage discharge, and solid waste dumping continue to degrade Dal and Nigeen Lakes.
20-Point Environmental Memorandum Submitted
The EPG submitted a detailed 20-point memorandum to Chairman Tarigami, outlining critical environmental challenges and seeking urgent redressal. These include:
-
Catchment Area Treatment and Sediment Control in River Jhelum Basin
-
Flood Management and the Long-Pending River Jhelum Project
-
Restoration of Flood Spill Channels and Srinagar’s Traditional Waterways
-
Ecological Restoration of Urban Lakes and Wetlands
-
Technical review of Wular Lake Restoration Projects
-
Navigational revival of Srinagar’s historic water linkages
-
Solid Waste Management crisis in Sopore and Bandipore
-
Sewage and Drainage gaps in Srinagar and other riverbank towns
-
Conservation concerns of Dachigam National Park
-
Need for independent environmental audits for Smart City and tourism projects
-
Regulation of illegal minor mineral extraction from Doodhganga and Sukhnag
-
Preservation of greenbelts and public spaces, including opposition to the proposed Polo Ground flyover
-
Urgent installation of STPs and enforcement of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016
