Environment Archives | Page 9 of 45

Climate change on track to make 2023 hottest year ever recorded

June 16, 2023 Editor

Global temperatures have accelerated to record-setting levels this month, an ominous sign in the climate crisis ahead of a gathering El Nino that could potentially propel 2023 to become the hottest year ever recorded. Preliminary global average temperatures taken so far in June are nearly 1 degree Celsius above levels previously recorded for the same month, going back to 1979, the Guardian reported. While the month is not yet complete and may not set a new June record, climate scientists say it follows a pattern of strengthening global heating that…

Shrinking of Dal and Wular Lakes: A Growing Concern for Kashmir Valley

June 15, 2023 Editor

The picturesque Kashmir Valley, renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty, is facing a significant environmental challenge as two of its iconic lakes, Dal and Wular, are shrinking at an alarming rate. The shrinking of these lakes not only poses a threat to the region’s ecological balance but also has serious implications for the livelihoods and well-being of the local communities. This article sheds light on the causes, consequences, and potential remedies for the shrinking of Dal and Wular Lakes in the Kashmir Valley. Dal Lake, located in Srinagar, and Wular…

Kashmir’s Iconic Dal Lake: A Tragic decline threatening its existence

June 13, 2023June 13, 2023 Editor

By: Majid Maqbool Amid much fanfare last month, visiting G20 delegates arrived in Kashmir’s capital city Srinagar to attend a tourism working group meeting in a convention center overlooking the iconic Dal Lake, which has drawn tourists from across the world for decades for its stunning beauty. It is called variously the “Lake of Flowers,” the “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir” or “Srinagar’s Jewel.” Walter R. Lawrence, the British Resettlement Commissioner of Kashmir wrote in 1887 that “Perhaps in the whole world there is no corner as pleasant as…

Kashmir is a popular tourist destination, but the unregulated tourist influx has led to an increase in pollution and waste disposal problems

June 9, 2023June 9, 2023 Editor

Kashmir is a popular tourist destination, and the number of tourists visiting the region has increased in recent years

Tourism is a small but important part of Kashmir’s economy. However, in the name of tourism, the government should not put the fragile and already-strained natural resources and public infrastructure in the region under even more pressure, lest it lead to a complete destruction of the beautiful valley, which is home to 7 million people. By: Raja Muzaffar Bhat Four years after India made Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) its youngest Union territory, the region is expected to receive around 2 crore (20 million) tourists this year. This was revealed by the lieutenant governor…

Alarming increase in Fish Deaths in Dal Lake raises concerns, Authorities Label it as ‘Annual’ Occurrence

May 26, 2023May 26, 2023 Editor

Dead Fishes Float In Dal Lake After G20 Beautification, Locals Blame Authorities Thousands of fish in the Dal Lake here have died over the past few days with authorities blaming a sudden fluctuation in temperature in the region. Dal Lake dwellers expressed alarm over such large-scale fish deaths even as authorities said the occurrence was an annual affair. “I received reports about the deaths of fish in Dal Lake yesterday. We sent a team to scout the lake for samples. We found that a lot of dead fish had collected around…

Climate change may be cause apple crisis in Himachal and Kashmir

May 21, 2023May 21, 2023 Editor

Climate change is causing bees, among nature’s primary pollinators, to die in Himachal Pradesh and the Kashmir Valley. This has led to major losses for apple growers in the two areas and could impact their respective economies, horticulturists have told. While apple production is estimated to decrease by about 30 per cent this time in Himachal Pradesh, 20 per cent loss is estimated in Kashmir. “This year, when it rained in mid-April, bees in our garden died in their boxes,” Marshall Thakur, an apple grower from Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district, told.…

Climate Change increases likelihood of Heatwaves in Asia by 30 Times

May 18, 2023 Editor

Scientists warn of escalating heatwave risks due to global warming The record breaking humid heat wave that hit east and north India; Bangladesh; Laos and Thailand in April were made at least 30 times more likely by climate change, a rapid attribution analysis said on Wednesday. The analysis by an international team of scientists with the World Weather Attribution group said a highly vulnerable population was subjected to a deadly combination of high heat and humidity which amplified the impacts in early summer this year. Large populations across South Asia…

Alarm bells ring as exotic Alligator Gar Fish found in Dal Lake

May 15, 2023 Editor

Capturing of a fish resembling the Alligator gar fish in the Dal lake here has sent alarm bells ringing among the scientists who fear that the presence of non-native fish species could spell doom on the eco-fragile flora and fauna of the water body. The Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) captured the alligator-shaped fish during the deweeding of Dal Lake near Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) on May 12. The video of the unique fish went viral taking people as well as scientists by surprise. Talking to KIF, Executive Engineer…

Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh receive excess rainfall in April following a deficit from January to March

May 3, 2023 Editor

After three months of deficit rainfall, Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh received above normal rainfall in the month of April, officials said. The data provided by the meteorological department’s (MeT) local centre, the union territories collectively received 113 mm of average precipitation in April against a normal of 99.5 mm – registering an increase of 13%. “The month of April witnessed just above normal rainfall of 112.9 mm after three months of deficit precipitation,” the centre’s deputy director Mukhtar Ahmad said, adding that the months of March and…

Polythene Clogging up Kashmir’s Natural Wonders, from Deepest Lake to Tallest Mountain

April 29, 2023 Editor

Polythene is showing up in the darkest depths of the oceans, at the summit of tallest mountains and even the polar ice caps, thus aggravating already pressing environmental concerns. It came as a surprise to me while researching for this story that polythene was discovered by accident, and that too not once but twice. The first of these incidents took place just before the turn of the twentieth century in the year 1900; German scientist Hans von Pechmann discovered a residue in his test tube but discarded it thinking that…