This year much before the falling of mercury to sub zero temperatures fog in morning and evening hours have started reducing frequency of both the pedestrian and as well vehicular movements in morning and evening hours across Kashmir.
Though there is nothing new in it that Kashmir is frequently plagued by frequent fog and haze during peak winter months in Kashmir but it is also an irrefutable fact that people have to learn to work and live in foggy conditions. True it is that people have to adopt certain methods to minimize the adverse impact of the fog and haze on a daily basis but such methods can be best explained to them only by the Government agencies like J&K Pollution Control Committee (J&K PCC). Though fog in the morning and evening hours is usually witnessed from the day mercury falls to sub zero temperatures after the commencement of chilly season of winter in Kashmir but this year much before the falling of mercury to sub zero temperatures fog in morning and evening hours have started reducing frequency of both the pedestrian and as well vehicular movements in morning and evening hours across Kashmir. Though traffic police department is yet to come out with an advisory on traffic movements on fogy days in the morning and evening hours but people themselves also have to take precaution in driving vehicles on fogy mornings and evenings in chilly months of winter in Kashmir. In fact it is not only the season of sub-zero temperatures and fogs in the morning and evening hours but also the period of air pollution caused by vehicular combustion and burning of leaves and wood in chinar gardens in Srinagar city and major towns of Kashmir valley and apple orchards in towns and villages across Kashmir . Experiences have shown that though intensity of air pollution is very high from the commencement of winter in November till the end of it’s peak season in the first week of February but J&K Pollution Control Committee (J&K PCC) does not issue any advisory to reduce the vulnerability of people to increasing air pollution during mid winter months wholly in Kashmir Valley and partly in Jammu division.
“Though Meteorological centre in Srinagar in it’s daily weather forecasts also forecasts about the intensity of fogs in the morning and evening hours but neither the J&K Pollution Control Committee (J&K PCC) warns people about the risks of air pollution nor the J&K Traffic Police Department issues traffic advisories for driving on fogy days in morning and evening hours in either Kashmir Valley or Jammu division. Administrative wisdom demands that both J&K Pollution Control Committee and as well as J&K Traffic Police Department come out with advisories to aware people about the air pollution and driving risks much before increasing air pollution and driving risks consume precious human lives during mid winter months in Kashmir Valley and parts of Jammu division”.
While the onus of public awareness against air pollution risks during peak winter months in Kashmir lies on J&K Pollution Control Committee (J&K PCC), the traffic police department also owes explanations to the people for it’s inability to aware them about the risks of driving on fogy days in morning and evening hours during peak winter months both in Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division. Though Meteorological centre in Srinagar in it’s daily weather forecasts also forecasts about the intensity of fogs in the morning and evening hours but neither the J&K Pollution Control Committee (J&K PCC) warns people about the risks of air pollution nor the J&K Traffic Police Department issues traffic advisories for driving on fogy days in morning and evening hours in either Kashmir Valley or Jammu division. Administrative wisdom demands that both J&K Pollution Control Committee and as well as J&K Traffic Police Department come out with advisories to aware people about the air pollution and driving risks much before increasing air pollution and driving risks consume precious human lives during mid winter months in Kashmir Valley and parts of Jammu division.
