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Category: ENVIRONMENT

Published: 05 June 2015

SRINAGAR:  South Kashmir Civil Society (SKCS) on eve of World Environment Day (WED)  is dismayed over the fact that  the  reported rate of consumption of the planet’s resources is now unsustainable and possibly at a tipping point where earth’s natural regenerative capacity could be lost forever and terribly  the  human race consumes resources the equivalent of 1.5 planets which connotes that the earth  takes one year and six months to regenerate what we consume in a year, survey shows that by  2030 we will need two planets to sustain our ways of living if the current consumption and production patterns remain the same, as  per United Nations description. 

“In recent years from acid rain to global warming and to the climate change triggered several human diseases including  heart ailments to acute respiratory problems, toxic pollution has a devastating impact on human health and the environment, SKCS,” spokesperson said, adding, “ In the past 150 years, carbon dioxide emissions have reached levels higher than they have been for hundreds of thousands of years, with more than 200 million people worldwide affected by air pollution. The problem is deadly – outdoor air pollution was estimated to cause 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide in 2012.”

SKCS shows concern on air pollution, lack of proper waste management infrastructure and degradation of water bodies, are the major environmental issues in Kashmir. The air in the cities  especially Srinagar is rapidly polluted by vehicular  emissions and open burning of garbage, besides,  depleting of  traditional water bodies—used to act as receiving bowls, surs  in village agricultural fields, were helpful in ground water recharging, essentially disappearance  or   melting down of some of the  active sources of Jhelum  tributaries, like Kohloi glacier.

SKCS is seriously apprehensive over the melting down of 30% of the ice of Siachin glacier because of militarised activities, giving an adjacent affect in proximal areas. Since, Siachin Glacier is major source of the Indus— which feeds the largest irrigation system in the world—Siachin is also one of   the world’s largest glacier and highest battle field, therefore, SKCS recommends for the immediate demilitarisation of Siachin  and proposes for the establishment of  joint monitoring unit in the area under the supervision of United Nations taking people of  such like areas on board  as natural participants in entire Jammu and Kashmir on either side of LoC.   

SKCS asks for the strict  implementation of environmental laws  and proper  examination of  the concentration of fine particles suspended in the atmosphere and  advises that fine particles of less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter (PM2.5) should not exceed 10 micrograms per cubic metre, as subscribed by  the monitoring agencies of United Nations.

Importantly, SKCS supports the UN slogan – Seven Billion Dreams; One Planet— Consume with Care, and to the  campaign for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the environment— to which— what has been rightly ascribed by Aldo Leopold that harmony with land is like harmony with a friend; you cannot cherish his right hand and chop off his left.