Sunday, January 2, 2022
Islamabad (News advertisment. DW news. 02 January 2022) Kashmir has been an important tourist destination on the map of South Asia for centuries. The condition of its meadows and lakes and streams is different in every season, which touches the hearts. Those who wish to see the snowfall in winter and slide on it flock to the plains from Gulmarg or other mountainous areas.
The sight of freezing snow or cold is romantic for them, but for the locals it is no less than doomsday. For many years now, the summer heat in Kashmir has increased to such an extent that it seems that they are sitting in Delhi or Jaipur and not in Srinagar. In the same way, the cold in winter is severe.
Experts say it's all about climate change.
Last year, our town of Sopore, adjacent to the city of Afaq Lake Willer, got so cold that the gas cylinder in the kitchen of our house also froze. Due to which food could not be cooked at home. The bathroom faucet also has to be kept open in winter, and you can't turn it off even if you see water leaking from it. Because closing it means that the water will freeze in the pipe.
If it just freezes then after a couple of months the flow of water will start. But science says the volume of water expands as it freezes, causing steel pipes to burst and the entire water supply system to have to be replaced.
Similarly, feathers were rarely used in homes in summer. Whenever the temperature in Srinagar reached 30 degrees Celsius, it would rain immediately.
Along with this heat, cool winds also blew in the evening. But for many years now I have not been able to live without air conditioning. Climate change and climate degradation are part of the current global debate and it is not difficult to diagnose and identify these climate changes in Kashmir.
Massive floods hit Kashmir in 2014. Cloudbursts, unseasonal snowfall and hailstorms are now commonplace.
Glaciers are melting very fast. Due to these climate changes, the cultivation of fruits and vegetables in Kashmir is also being severely affected.
One of the main reasons for this is the increase in population in mountainous areas as well as the uninterrupted influx of tourists and tourists, the proliferation of vehicles, and the unscientific disposal of waste.
Human intervention in animal habitats and the presence of troops in the mountains and forests are also causing environmental degradation.
The role of governments is crucial in this whole trend of environmental degradation, which gives rise to climate change. Its job is to set up structures and mechanisms to mitigate the negative effects of human activities on the environment.
That is a fact. That is why governments around the world have enacted legislation for the sake of the environment, and they are now being strictly enforced.
But Bawa Adam of Kashmir is unique. Here the government itself is taking such measures, which increase the environmental pollution. Instead of protecting the existing glaciers on the high mountains from further damage, more and more tourists are being sent there and their melting equipment is being provided as soon as possible.
One of the main reasons for this is that the government links the arrival of more and more tourists and pilgrims with the return to normalcy. In order to inform the people all over the world and in India that the situation in Kashmir is normal, she uses the number of tourists as propaganda.
In addition, illegal deforestation is not only rampant, but the government itself is also involved in large-scale deforestation in the name of large-scale infrastructure projects and other development projects.
Ignoring the environment can be very dangerous for achieving development. Unfortunately, it seems that the government is sacrificing the environment for the benefit of the people, instead of working for the wider and lasting interests of the people.
