SRINAGAR, Feb 3: The Environmental Policy Group (EPG) has urged the government to provide adequate budgetary allocations and extend broad-based institutional and political support to implement its recommendations aimed at addressing what it described as a deepening environmental crisis in the Kashmir Valley.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the EPG said Kashmir’s natural environment has witnessed severe degradation over the past few decades due to deforestation, loss of water bodies, vandalisation of natural resources and unchecked dumping of solid waste. The group warned that air pollution, foul odours and untreated waste in urban centres have turned into public health emergencies, affecting tens of thousands of residents, with the Achan solid waste dumping site in Srinagar cited as a glaring example.
The group also highlighted the mismanagement of wetlands, lakes and rivers, noting that soil and muck from wetlands are being sold to generate maintenance funds, while illegal and unplanned construction, mountain cutting and large-scale conversion of agricultural and forest land have caused serious ecological imbalance.
Raising concern over geological heritage sites, the EPG said the globally acknowledged Guryul Ravine Permian–Triassic Fossil Park at Khonmoh, along with sites at Mandakpal, Barus and Pastun in Tral, have fallen victim to illegal mining and large-scale mountain cutting using heavy machinery. It said fossil-bearing areas are being reduced to construction material instead of being developed as sites of international scientific importance.
The EPG further pointed to institutional weaknesses, stating that the Forest Department and Wildlife authorities suffer from staff shortages, vacant field-level posts and inadequate trained manpower, hampering effective environmental governance.
Calling for urgent intervention, the group demanded that air pollution, water contamination and untreated solid waste management be declared a public health emergency with time-bound action plans and dedicated financial support. It sought enhanced budgetary allocation for the conservation of rivers, lakes, wetlands and other water bodies, and revival of stalled Wetland Management Action Plans.
The EPG specifically recommended a budgetary allocation of ₹10 crore for the conservation and development of the Guryul Ravine Permian–Triassic Fossil Park at Khonmoh. It also cautioned the government against environmentally degrading projects in Jammu and Kashmir, which has been classified under the highest Seismic Zone-V by the Bureau of Indian Standards, citing the experiences of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and the Ramban region as warnings.
The group called for strengthening the Forest and Wildlife Departments by filling vacant posts, halting the sale of wetland soil and muck, stopping illegal encroachments and conversions, enforcing strict regulations on construction and mountain cutting, and prioritising environmentally compliant development policies.
Stressing the urgency of coordinated action, the EPG said decisive measures are essential to restore Kashmir’s ecological balance, protect public health and livelihoods, and prevent avoidable environmental disasters in Jammu and Kashmir. It appealed to the government, planners, policymakers and legislators across party lines to support expert-backed recommendations in the larger public interest.
