Category: Environment

Environment

Wullar !!!! Water Level drops, lake’s future in jeopardy

Editor

Wular, Asia’s largest fresh water lake, has been witnessing degradation due to decline in water level, fish, water chestnuts and ‘nadroo’ (lotus stem). It is endangering its life and adversely affecting the economy of over 3.52 lakh people. The 130-sq km lake, designated as a Wetland of International Importance in 1986 and as a Ramsar Site in 1990, falls in Bandipora and Baramulla districts. The growth of over 21.84 lakh trees in its vast expanse in the foothills of Harmukh has transformed its shape. Earlier, the state government had envisaged…

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Authorities construct road, allow camping site in restricted area at Pahalgam

Editor

The Authorities have allowed the construction in the restricted area at Pahalgam for which the trees have been cut and a road is being built at Aru Valley. A camping site is now being raised next to the river Lidder and the construction activity is going on close to Sarshaar park. Excavators and other heavy machinery has been pressed into service which have left the area ravaged and raised the environmental concerns. Governmnet has built an approach road and dug a large area which passes adjacent to river Lidder thereby…

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Srinagar, Jammu witness season’s coldest night

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Continuing its free fall on Thursday, the minimum temperature dropped to minus 2.3 degrees in Srinagar and 7.9 in Jammu, the lowest recorded at both places this season. While Leh was the coldest town in Jammu and Kashmir at minus 11.6, Kargil recorded minus 9 as the night’s lowest temperature, the Met department said. Night temperatures fell below the freezing point through the valley. Pahalgam recorded minus 5.7 while Gulmarg recorded minus 5.4 as the minimum temperature. Katra recorded 9.5, Batote 6.5, Bannihal 6 and Bhaderwah was at 2 degrees…

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Winter chill knocking doors in Kashmir Valley

Editor

Winter chill in Jammu and Kashmir has started knocking the doors as night temperatures dipped at many places in the state. Leh in frontier region of Ladakh registered a low of minus 5.9 degrees Celsius this morning, making it the coldest place in the state. The situation was not different in the neighboring Kargil , as it also recorded minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, met office said. The sky resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 4.5 while hill resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir recorded a…

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Long dry spells across Kashmir an ‘Emerging Trend’ as well serious concern

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Director meteorological department Srinagar Sonam Lotus on Friday said that an analysis of the weather data of the past decade shows a trend of prolonged dry spells emerging in Kashmir. This year, there has been no rainfall since September 10. “We have a dry spell for the past 61 days. As per our records, it was not the case in Kashmir. We have made analysis that a trend of prolonged dry spell is emerging in Kashmir during the past few years. Last time it rained, it was only 4mm of…

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Fog to thicken in coming days across state

Editor

Smog has been slowly engulfing the state and in all likelihood, the condition will get worse in the coming days due to dry weather. The current haze is due to suspended particles in air which can only get cleared with Western Disturbances (WB) which bring rain, snow and winds from Indo-Gangetic plains. As per the meteorology department, J&K is likely to witness rain or snow on November 14-15 and till then, the air quality is likely to deteriorate. Every year during autumn, the burning of agriculture waste and fossil fuel…

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Jhelum turned into sewer, carries toxic water: Experts

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Environment experts who visited the river Jhelum in Srinagar on Sunday expressed serious concern over its deteriorating condition, terming the dredging of the river ‘a futile exercise’. The experts are members of the Peoples Environment Council, a non-governmental organisation with an aim to protect the environment including water bodies. Hydrologist, Er Ajaz Rasool,who was part of the team, said the dredging of the river was a futile exercise.“It is not going to increase the carrying capacity…There is sewage inflow from both the sides of the river, from houses and residential…

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Water crisis across Kashmir as Jhelum level hits rock bottom

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Villages of Kupwara, Bandipora, Budgam districts most affected An unprecedented water crisis is unfolding in the Kashmir valley as a lengthy dry spell has led to a record low level of water in the Jhelum river, one of the main source of water supply in the region. The areas most affected by the crisis include north Kashmir’s Kupwara and Bandipora districts and central Kashmir’s Budgam district, where dozens of villages are without drinking water supply. In north Kashmir’s Sopore town, the water is being supplied to rural and urban areas…

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Oxygen levels in Dal lake below permissible limits

Editor

High Court directs authorities to upgrade five STPs With the Pollution Control Board indicating in its report that the dissolved oxygen levels in the Dal lake have gone down drastically below the permissible levels due to the continuous flow of domestic sewerage from the back channels, the J&K High court today directed the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) to explore the possibility of reducing the timeline given for the upgrade of the five existing sewage treatment plants (STPs). The court also directed the authorities to expedite the proposal for…

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Thundershowers, Isolated rain likely over J&K in next 24 hours

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Isolated rain and thundershowers are expected over the parts of Jammu and Kashmir during the next 24 hours, Skymetweather.com reported on Monday. The weather portal reported that presently, a ‘feeble Western Disturbance is seen over northern parts of Jammu and Kashmir.’ “Due to this weather system, isolated rain and thundershowers are expected over northern districts of Jammu and Kashmir region during the next 24 hours,” the report said. It said places such as Kupwara, Srinagar, Baramulla, Kargil will witness scattered rains within the span of next 24 hours. “After 24…

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