The Jammu and Kashmir ecologically fragile region is prone to various types of natural disasters like earthquake, floods, soil erosion, landslides, snow avalanches, snowstorms and high velocity winds. Every year, the impact of natural disasters causes many deaths and damage to property in crores. The recent land sliding, land sinking and flash floods witnessed by Jammu and Kashmir sends red signals ringing for all its residents to wake up before it is too late otherwise, its residents should be ready for destructive natural disasters any time in the very near future. Why Jammu and Kashmir recently witnessed flash floods, landslides and land sinking just for a few days of rain. There are a number of responsible reasons. Increasing human activities and haphazard constructions in ecologically fragile regions for the last many years have destroyed natural resources like green forests, grasslands, wetlands, fresh water rivers, fertile lands, mountains and glaciers. These anthropogenic activities have increased the risk of vulnerability to natural disasters and threatening human lives as well. Soaring pollution, unprecedented deforestation, road construction, terrace cultivation and illegal encroachment of water bodies and forestland with no regard for environmental, geological, geomorphological, and ecological conditions have increased risk of landslides, land sinking and floods here. According to a report of New Delhi based NGO namely the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), more than 50 % of lakes, wetlands, and ponds in Srinagar have been encroached for the last one hundred years. Large-scale urbanization, growing population, urban concretization, global warming, and climate change for the last one decade further vandalised our natural resources tremendously. Discharge of sewage, waste, silt and weak and damaged embankments due to reckless illegal mining and continuous movement of trucks, JCBs, dumpers and other heavy vehicles used to carry riverbed material have put a greater extent of pressure on our water bodies. These activities have reduced the carrying capacity of water bodies in the region and some water bodies have become extinct. Lack of proper drainage system, choking of drains, canals and wetlands have further increased the vulnerability to natural disasters. Construction of ring roads and other structures without implementation of guidelines to drain out rainwater have added more woes to the people. The rampant misuse of the building permission norms all across Jammu and Kashmir and lack of strict action by the concerned department has turned most water bodies into cesspools. Massive landslides, land sinking and floods have now become very common in Jammu and Kashmir amid few days of normal raining. Torrential rains, snow avalanches, snowstorms and high velocity winds are also witnessed here in all seasons causing loss of lives and damage to property of people. Recent moderate levels of rain for some days caused flash floods and triggered massive landslides in many parts of Jammu and Kashmir. Flash floods, landslides and land sinking created havoc adding misery and pain to common people by damaging houses, agricultural fields, crops, orchards, roads, bridges, schools. All schools have been closed and university examinations’ postponed. The Srinagar Jammu National Highway, Mughal Road and Srinagar Leh roads have isolated the Kashmir valley from other parts of India leading to panic and chaos. Thousands of livestock as a source of livelihood for poor people in remote and rural areas perished, apple orchards uprooted and property of people in crores of rupees destroyed. Hundreds of houses and some school buildings developed cracks in kupwara, Ramban Budgam, Kulgam, Baramulla districts due to seepage of water and they became unsafe for people and students respectively. The water level of rivers, lakes, wetlands, streams, canals increased much and even orchards and agricultural fields have been completely waterlogged in various parts of the Kashmir valley particularly Puwama, Budgam, Shopian, Kulgam, Kupwara and Baramulla. The Jhelum was flowing at a flood declaration mark at certain points particularly at Ram Munshi Bagh Srinagar. However, all the concerned departments in all districts relocated the affected families and ensured relief, temporary accommodation, food and other essential services to the affected.
“The policy makers should formulate productive and innovative policies that can cope with all types of disasters in Jammu and Kashmir. The state Disaster Management authority, Pollution Control Board, and Irrigation and flood Control Department and Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (EIA) should work in cooperation and make joint efforts to involve the public for disaster awareness and prevention measures. People should sincerely pledge to work together for disaster free Jammu and Kashmir. Otherwise, we will have to pay a huge price and suffer a colossal loss in the future.”
The ecologically fragile J&K already falls under the high seismic Zones IV and V and cannot withstand the rampant and unscientific development and construction any time. Reckless anthropogenic activities by materialistic people without environmental clearance from Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (EIA) is only adding to the volcano that might explode anytime in future and engulf the whole valley in the form of floods, earthquakes, land sliding and land sinking. The natural resources that add beauty to the Jammu and Kashmir particularly mountains, hills, forestlands, water bodies, forests etc. need adequate safeguards against onslaught to protect their fragility. Removal of encroachments of water bodies, strengthening of embankments and their restoration for increasing water-holding capacity is the need of hour. Development and construction of structures and roads on scientific lines and implementation of environmental laws without any violation will play a crucial role in disaster prevention. Proper flood management plan should be devised by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department to avert disasters in future. We cannot prevent disasters like floods, earthquakes and land sliding but prevent loss of lives or minimize damage by various effective strategies and ways. Everybody in Jammu and Kashmir should devote and work for the welfare of the environment like Manzoor Wagnoo, Dr. Raja Muzaffar, Dr Tauseef, Faiz Bakhshi, Advocate Nadeem Qadri, Syed Adil, and Syed Farhat. It is pertinent to mention that these environmentalists are working sincerely and tirelessly and contributing significantly to the environment. Civil society, NGOS, and religious scholars should also come forward to bring awareness to people that they cannot encroach, pollute water bodies, and construct houses on vulnerable spots. The government should devise an effective strategy to deal with such natural disasters in future. The policy makers should formulate productive and innovative policies that can cope with all types of disasters in Jammu and Kashmir. The state Disaster Management authority, Pollution Control Board, and Irrigation and flood Control Department and Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (EIA) should work in cooperation and make joint efforts to involve the public for disaster awareness and prevention measures. People should sincerely pledge to work together for disaster free Jammu and Kashmir. Otherwise, we will have to pay a huge price and suffer a colossal loss in the future.
(The author is a teacher at Govt Boys Higher Secondary School Beerwa Budgam. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”.)
[email protected]
