Environment Archives | Page 10 of 45

Wild boar population surges in Kashmir, Wildlife experts raise concerns

April 6, 2023April 6, 2023 Editor

Wild boars have staged a massive comeback across the Valley after vanishing in mid-80’s completely. Even though experts believe global warming may be the reason for resurgence of the wild animal, they sounded alarm stating the boars can affect the Hangul’s habitat besides damaging the crops of every nature. Wildlife warden Shopain Intisaar Suhail, who has co-authored a publication on wild-boars, are not the native animal. “It was introduced in some areas of Kashmir like Dachigam by the then Maharaja for hunting. Then it started to decline and in mid…

J&K’s Forests under threat: Immediate action needed to prevent irreversible damage

March 21, 2023 Editor

By: Dr. Showkat Rashid Wani The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests in 2012 to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests. The Directorate of Distance Education had deputed some of its students to MET Higher Secondary School for Practice of teaching. During inspection the author of this article saw a creative sketch on forest degradation by one of the students. The student had got an idea from the CBSE Class 9 English Beehive book of her cousin containing…

This winter newer rarer winged guests make Kashmir their home

March 1, 2023 Editor

Newer and rarer species of migratory birds arrived in Kashmir this season and extended their sojourn as compared to last three years, officials said. The latest annual waterbird census (AWC) in the Himalayan valley has revealed that the wetlands of the region provided a pleasant stay to the winged guests from Europe, Japan, China and Central Asia. “We are still compiling the census figures but overall, we saw about 12 lakh to 13 lakh birds in Kashmir this time, a figure higher than the last three years,” said Ifshan Dewan,…

Light to moderate rain, snow predicted in next 24 hours: MeT

November 5, 2022November 5, 2022 Editor

Predicting further dip in temperatures across Jammu and Kashmir, Meteorological Department on Friday said that they are expecting rains and snow in Union Territory during next 24 hours. “Fairly to widespread light to moderate rain, snow and thunders are expected in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday,” MeT officials said here adding that there has been further drop in maximum and minimum temperatures across J&K. MeT also issued yellow warning for isolated rain/thunder/lightning on Saturday . Pertinently, green means no action, yellow—situation to be watched, orange–government agencies need to be prepared…

Melting Glaciers to Cloudbursts, How climate change is impacting Kashmir

August 7, 2022 Editor

By: Syed Shadaab Gillani In its first meeting last week, the Reconstituted Committee of Climate Change Program of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) held a dialogue on climate change at the University of Kashmir in which top scientists from DST and other reputed institutions participated. The Committee aims to develop strategic knowledge on issues of climate change in view of its growing challenges. The expert-level deliberations indicate concerns underscored by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report of 2022 stating that the impact of climate change…

Amarnath tragedy exposes limited holding capacity of fragile Himalayan ecosystem

July 17, 2022 Editor

In the next two immediate days, much of the talk revolved around disaster management and incorrect weather predictions and the lacunae thereof. However, there was hardly any talk about restricting the number of pilgrims into the high altitude pilgrimage destinations such as Amarnath Cave shrine (Approximately 14,000 feet). New Delhi, July 17: Little more than a week after the tragic death of 16 pilgrims near the holy cave shrine of Amarnath on July 8, hundreds of devotees continue to trudge up the arduous treks from Pahalgam and Baltal side fighting…

Over one lakh trees axed for Srinagar Ring Road, no plantation on cards

July 15, 2022July 15, 2022 Editor

More than 1.10 lakh private trees of Apple, Chinar, Walnut, Mullberry among other species valued at Rs 13.76 crore have been chopped down by the NHAI to lay down the Srinagar Ring Road, an RTI reply has revealed. The response received by RTI activist Raman Sharma from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on his queries said over 1,200 more private trees which form the lush green cover of the Valley will be chopped down in the coming days to build the new tarmac around Srinagar. The NHAI did…

Single-Use Plastic: GoI gears up to enforce ban in J&K

June 30, 2022 Editor

Countrywide ban on manufacture, import, distribution, use from July 1 With India implementing a blanket ban on single-use plastic items from July 1 this year, the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC) today issued public notice prohibiting production, stocking, distribution, sale and use of single use plastic in the Union Territory. The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change had issued notification No. G.S.R. 571 (E) on August 12, 2021 by virtue of which manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of identified single use plastic (SUP) items shall…

Heat wave grips Kashmir; Srinagar sizzles at 34°C, Monsoon to arrive by July 1

June 30, 2022 Editor

The capital city of Srinagar recorded the hottest day of this season on Wednesday as the mercury touched 34°C mark, even as the meteorological office here predicted light to moderate rains in Jammu and Kashmir. Today’s temperature was over 0.8°C higher than yesterday and 3.4°C above the normal for this time of the season, a MET official said. It also remained third highest in the last 12 years in Srinagar. On 9 June 2021, Srinagar recorded 34.7°C. The highest June temperature in Srinagar in the last 12 years was 35°C…

Wular Lake: Asia’s largest freshwater lakes is blanketed with waste and silt

June 17, 2022 Editor

Severe pollution in Wular lake is eroding the natural habitat of native plants and fish species. By: Umer Ahmed Hailed as one of Asia’s largest freshwater lakes, Wular is shrinking with an urgency hard to reverse. A flood basin for the Kashmir Valley, parts of the lake have turned into shallow streams, with vast expanses of the area covered in silt and dotted with solid waste. Around 34 km away from Srinagar, Wular lake in the Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir, has shrunk by 45% in about 100 years,…