House Panel Flags Anchar Lake Degradation, Calls for Stronger Environmental Protection

Ziraat Times News Desk

Srinagar, June 5: The House Committee on Environment of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Friday held its introductory meeting at the Legislative Assembly Complex here, marking World Environment Day and outlining priorities for environmental conservation across the Union Territory.

The meeting was chaired by Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami and attended by committee members Prof. Gharu Ram, Baldev Raj Sharma, Daleep Singh, Showkat Hussain Ganai, Javaid Ahmad Mirchal, Dr. Sajjad Shafi, Javaid Reyaz Bedar, Dr. Rameshwar Singh and Devyani Rana.

Addressing the meeting, Tarigami said environmental protection was not merely an administrative responsibility but a collective moral obligation towards society and nature. He thanked members for joining a committee entrusted with addressing issues that affect human beings, wildlife, flora and fauna, and future generations.

The committee discussed a range of environmental challenges facing Jammu and Kashmir, including pollution of water bodies, unscientific waste disposal, deforestation, excessive plastic use, degradation of wetlands and the shrinking of green cover. Tarigami expressed particular concern over the deteriorating condition of Anchar Lake and other water bodies in Kashmir, saying pollution, encroachments and neglect were posing a serious threat to the region’s ecological balance.

He stressed the need for the restoration and conservation of lakes, rivers and forests in both Jammu and Kashmir divisions, observing that unchecked urbanisation, environmental degradation and climate change were adversely affecting biodiversity, public health and the fragile ecosystem of the Union Territory.

Committee members offered suggestions and unanimously agreed that the panel has an important role in safeguarding Jammu and Kashmir’s environmental future. They urged the administration to extend full cooperation and provide the necessary institutional support for implementing the committee’s recommendations.

The committee also proposed extensive visits across Jammu and Kashmir to assess environmental concerns at the grassroots level, interact with local communities and promote public awareness about environmental protection.

Members further called for strengthening waste management systems, preventing illegal dumping of waste, protecting wetlands and water bodies, expanding afforestation initiatives and enforcing measures to curb indiscriminate plastic use through a combination of regulation and public participation.