The most worrying is the shadow of stress of the dry spell falling on the local livelihoods of the people connected with tourism, agriculture and horticulture related activities and the fear of water shortage panicking people in Jammu & Kashmir.
The dry spell panicking people in Jammu & Kashmir is as good a threat to the livelihoods of people and the availability of basic services as are the other natural calamities likes floods. It is an irrefutable fact that just like rains trigger floods, dry spells cause draughts anywhere in the world and same holds good for the people of Jammu & Kashmir hugely panicked by the current dry spell. Though prayers for break in the current dry spell would hopefully bring respite to the people with the start of a long drawn wet spell in Jammu & Kashmir very soon but keeping view the current trend of dry spell the occurrence of draught in the wake of no break in the dry weather can’t be ruled out. The most worrying is the shadow of stress of the dry spell falling on the local livelihoods of the people connected with tourism, agriculture and horticulture related activities and the fear of water shortage panicking people in Jammu & Kashmir. Even Lt Governor Manoj Sinha in one of his latest statements said snow and rains bring economic strength to the people of Jammu & Kashmir. Since any unusual change is weather changes the trends of economic activities in any part of the world and same holds good for the people of Jammu & Kashmir, the situation necessitates a change in the tracks of activities related to tourism, agriculture and horticulture. In the emerging scenario of draught like situation the onus of finding responses to the challenges of dry weather lies on agriculture, horticulture, tourism and Jal Shakti departments of the Jammu & Kashmir Government. Since any announcement of economic sops for the farmers connected with the agriculture and horticulture related activities to help them fight the prolonged spells of dry weather is subject to the availability of funds this year, the onus of preparing a blue print for the announcement of such economic sops lies more on the finance and planning departments than on the agriculture and horticulture departments of the Jammu & Kashmir Government.
“Apart from the threats to local economies in agriculture, horticulture and tourism sectors the continuity in the current dry spell could also throw up a more huge challenge to the Jal Shakti Department in maintaining the continuity in delivery of drinking water services not only to the local populations but also to the hospitals, educational institutions and private commercial establishments particularly hotels and restaurants across Jammu & Kashmir. Groundwork if not immediately started for preparing a blue print for quick responses to the emerging challenges in agriculture, horticulture and tourism related activities besides water availability could most likely trigger a major crisis of livelihoods and basic human needs across Jammu & Kashmir. Wisdom demands that process of responses starts much before the current dry spell pushes people into a crisis like situation.”
Similarly the demands are growing for the initiatives needed to help tourism stakeholders withstand the stress of any major decline in the tourism related activities in the wake of further continuity in the prolonged dry spell. Apart from the threats to local economies in agriculture, horticulture and tourism sectors the continuity in the current dry spell could also throw up a more huge challenge to the Jal Shakti Department in maintaining the continuity in delivery of drinking water services not only to the local populations but also to the hospitals, educational institutions and private commercial establishments particularly hotels and restaurants across Jammu & Kashmir. Groundwork if not immediately started for preparing a blue print for quick responses to the emerging challenges in agriculture, horticulture and tourism related activities besides water availability could most likely trigger a major crisis of livelihoods and basic human needs across Jammu & Kashmir. Wisdom demands that process of responses starts much before the current dry spell pushes people into a crisis like situation.
