Environment Archives | Page 8 of 45

Plastic pollution poses threat to tourism in Kashmir’s border areas

August 28, 2023August 28, 2023 Editor

Tourist Boom in Kashmir’s Border Areas Brings Plastic Pollution Concerns to the Forefront By: Javid Amin Over the past two years, regions such as Keran, Bangus, Tangdhar, Gurez, and Uri along the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir have witnessed a remarkable surge in tourist activity. This uptick in tourism can be attributed to the February 2021 ceasefire agreement between the Indian and Pakistani armies, which opened up these areas for visitors. However, with this influx of tourists comes a concerning rise in plastic pollution. Local officials and environmentalists…

Impact of Heavy Rains in Himachal: Urgent Need for New Infrastructure Policies in Mountain States to Combat Climate Crises

August 25, 2023August 25, 2023 Editor

In a distressing turn of events, the recent heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh have unveiled a pressing need for new and robust infrastructure policies in mountainous regions, as eight buildings in Kullu district collapsed due to the onslaught of rain-triggered damages. The incident occurred in the Anni area, casting large clouds of dust and debris, but thankfully, there were no casualties reported. The buildings that crumbled had already exhibited cracks and were marked as unsafe following the recent bout of rains. These structures, which housed commercial establishments including shops and…

Supreme Court suggests Expert Panel to study Carrying Capacity of Himalayan Region

August 22, 2023 Editor

The Supreme Court on Monday mooted constituting an expert committee for conducting a “complete and comprehensive” study on the carrying capacity of the Himalayan region in the country, where unplanned development has caused devastation in recent times, terming it a “very important issue”. The carrying capacity is the maximum population size that an ecosystem can sustain without getting degraded. A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud was hearing a plea seeking an assessment of the carrying capacity and master plans for the Indian Himalayan Region spanning 13 states…

Kashmir Valley Grapples with Severe Air Pollution Crisis

August 19, 2023 Editor

Govt must seek an explanation from J&K Pollution Control Committee for allowing construction of fresh brick kilns Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat Last year in December the Director of Sher e Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences-SKIMS Dr Parvez Koul said that 10,000 deaths were attributed to air pollution in J&K every year. He said that Srinagar City has the highest incidence of lung cancer in India and a large number of people were suffering from chronic lung diseases in J&K. Dr Koul called for an urgent need to act and control…

Senior J&K Official transferred after he flagged hotel construction irregularities

July 29, 2023July 29, 2023 Editor

Before he was shunted out, the official had also written to the Anantnag deputy commissioner about changes the latter made to the hotel’s construction plan that were executed in contravention of procedure. By: Jehangir Ali Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha’s administration shunted out a senior officer for allegedly flagging violations by an under-construction hotel in a Pahalgam health resort in south Kashmir, The Wire has learnt. The hotel, which comprises three huts and includes a staff quarter, is coming up in Athnadan village, located on the outskirts of the eco-fragile Pahalgam…

Climate Change Threat: Study highlights formation of Three New Lakes in Ladakh due to Glacial Retreat, Poses Flood Risk

July 29, 2023 Editor

Field surveys by geologists have indicated that three new glacial lakes of different dimensions are likely to form in the area of the Parkachik Glacier in Ladakh as a result of glacial retreat, which could have the potential to cause floods if they burst. Scientists from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, have conducted a study that describes the morphological and dynamic changes of the Parkachik Glacier in the Suru river valley of Ladakh Himalayas, using medium-resolution satellite images from 1971–2021 and field surveys between 2015 and 2021. The Parkachik…

Ringing Alarm Bells: Frequent Earthquakes in Jammu and Kashmir Raise Concerns

July 26, 2023 Editor

Experts pitch for preparedness to minimise damage, develop earthquake resilient society By: Arif Shafi Wani Frequent earthquakes in Jammu and Kashmir have set alarm bells ringing with experts calling for increasing preparedness level to minimise the loss of lives in case of high magnitude tremblors. J&K falls under the high seismic Zones IV and V, making it vulnerable to earthquakes. A powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake rattled J&K on October 8, 2005, claiming 1350 lives and causing massive destruction to structures. For the past over a year, J&K has been witnessing frequent…

Unraveling the Phenomenon of Cloudbursts: Is Climate Change Responsible for Their Escalation?

July 26, 2023 Editor

Last Saturday, Mohammed Aslam was working in his kitchen garden when he heard his fellow villagers shouting that water was coming from the nearby foothills in southern Kulgam area in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Within moments, the farmer said, mud and muck from gushing water swept through the village, damaging scores of homes. “It was sudden and swift,” Aslam said. A cloudburst followed by flashfloods hit nearly a dozen villages in Kulgam, filling homes with mud and washing away some cattle. A day before, on Friday night, another cloudburst in the neighboring arid,…

Fragile Himalayan Ecosystems at Risk as India-China Military Buildup Intensifies

July 22, 2023 Editor

By: Bilal Hussain Environmental activists and experts are increasingly concerned about the impact that military activity by India, China and Pakistan is having on the unique biodiversity and pristine ecosystems of Ladakh, an Indian-administered region high in the Himalayas. Simmering tensions between India and China since a deadly border confrontation in 2020 have led to a surge in military deployment, with both sides fortifying their positions to ensure territorial security. The influx of troops, equipment and infrastructure construction for military purposes has disrupted the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. The unchecked expansion…