Need a Master Plan for environment protection: Governor

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Workshop on climate changes

‘Time to reverse damage done to the environment’

In a bid to preserve its fragile ecosystem, the Jammu and Kashmir Governor, NN Vohra, on Wednesday asserted that the state needed a Master Plan to address the issue.

“Time has come to protect the environment by way of having a full-fledged Master Plan in hand for the whole state from Ladakh downwards. The Master Plan should address the issue of environment protection by suggesting where to go for development and constructions keeping in view the fragile ecology of J&K,” he said while addressing delegates and officials at the valedictory function of the 3-day International Workshop on Climate Change at the University of Kashmir.

He said the Master Plan should be statutory in nature and the one whose provisions won’t be violated. “In J&K we have a very fragile ecosystem. We need to preserve its environment,” Vohra said, adding that “We are not only close to the problem of climate change but in the midst of it.”

The 3-day Workshop titled “Climate Change, Glacial Retreat and Livelihoods” was organised jointly by the University of Kashmir, State Forest Research Institute (SFRI) and The Energy Research Institute (TERI).

The Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, said there was need to sensitize the civil society about the consequences of climate change. “The issue of climate change is no longer theoretical as was perceived some years back. It is something that is visible to us. If we wake up to the issue today, we may be able to salvage something for posterity,” he said, adding, “There was definite and visible retreat of our glaciers, not in centimeters but meters.”

Omar, who is also the university pro-chancellor, said that the challenge before the government was to reverse the damage caused to the environment over the years. “People are to be made aware about the environment, climate change and glacial retreat as all this concerns them directly. We are seeing visible change in climate in Kashmir where summers are getting warmers and cropping patterns are changing,” he said, adding that the Workshops like these lend practical dimension to the problems like Climate Change.

In his welcome address, the KU Registrar, Prof S Fayyaz Ahmad, underlined the initiatives taken by the varsity to address the issue of Climate Change. “On the instructions of vice-chancellor, we have formed a Working Group on Climate Change which has been hailed at the national and international level,” he said, adding that the subject was a thrust area of research at Kashmir University.

He called for establishment of an Integrated Research Centre to address the issues of climate change, environment and energy. “That is vital for the socio-economic development of the state,” Prof Fayyaz, who represented the varsity, said.

The Commissioner/Secretary (Forests), Shantamanu, presented brief summary of the technical sessions of the Workshop.

The minister for Forests, Mian Altaf Ahmad, said his Ministry was alive to the challenges it faced vis-à-vis environment. “Whatever recommendations will be presented to us, we will ensure that they are implemented,” he said, while calling for empowerment of the Ecology and Environment Department.

The Senior Fellow at TERI, Prof SI Hasnain, talked about the overall discussions that took place during the three days of the Workshop.

On the occasion the organizers presented a set of recommendations regarding the climate change to the Govt of J&K. These include educated people about the climate change, adopting appropriate energy technologies in the region and performing a comprehensive assessment of the likely impact of climate change on the hydropower sector in J&K.

The conference felt that the dedicated institution in the state be mandated to coordinate actions of all the organizations to address adaptation to mitigate of climate change

Among others present on the occasion included senior KU academics and officials besides senior officers of the state government. The advisors to Chief Minister, Davinder Rana and Mubarak Gul, also chaired the dais.

Escalating air, noise pollution causing environmental degradation in J&K

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*2 years gone; no Air Quality Monitoring in ‘gray areas’

*Despite warnings music systems reinstalled by operators

*Survival of habitations in low lying areas threatened

*Comprehensive City Transport Plan for Srinagar, Jammu on anvil

The pollution in varied forms has been causing environmental degradation in Jammu and Kashmir state and consequently glaciers in the state are now melting at a faster pace, threatening the survival of habitations in low lying areas.

Environmental degradation in different forms of air, water, and noise pollution goes on unchecked in the state Jammu and Kashmir with concerned authorities including State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) and other agencies sleeping over what environmentalists say ‘a ticking time bomb’.

The problem can be attributed to rapid deforestation and rampant use of fossil fuels. The number of green trees has come under the axe for widening the Jammu-Pathankote bypass road and countless trees were also felled under four-lane project of NHAI right from Pull Doda to Bhaderwah.

The green patches around winter capital, called lungs of the city, have been shrinking at a faster pace while air-pollution including green house gases has been increasing day by day.
Haphazard industrialization in the state in the backdrop of faulty checks and constantly increasing number of automobiles has been adding to emission of greenhouse gases.

Automobiles continue to spew carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and lead, not only polluting the air but also disturbing the heat and radiation balance of earth's atmosphere.

Per capita number of vehicles have increased manifold in Jammu in particular and the whole state in general as compared to population density and these vehicles have been adding to air pollution without any serious exercise by the government to check emissions of greenhouse gases.

The air pollution graph that is on continuous rise in the city of temples is getting no attention from the monitoring agencies considering the fact that even after lapse of two years State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) has failed to install ‘Continuous Air Quality Monitoring Systems’ proposed two years back for areas prone to air pollution.

The project was sanctioned by Central Pollution Control Board after the state board moved a proposal for the same in the year 2007.

Sources in the Pollution Control Board said that the installation of Envirotech Instruments in the interior parts forms the part of traffic regulation in the city, particularly measures for putting control on the traffic pollution.

The locations identified for installing ‘‘Continuous Air Quality Monitoring Systems’ Raghunath Bazar, Kachi Chawani, Janipura and Vikram Chowk, the areas which have maximum traffic pressure.

The major source of air pollution in Jammu city is emissions from traffic, for it is only second after Tokyo in the list of cities having maximum number of automobile traffic across the world

Presently there are only three such installations across Jammu City, one at Mulana Azad Stadium other at PCB complex at Narwal and third at Industrial area Baribrahmna.

However, there are no such installations in Mishriwala, Muthi and other areas which have maximum numbers of Brick Kilns considered as one of the main source of air pollution.

Meanwhile, the noise pollution is another matter of concern for the people in city of temples. Within few days after the traffic cops had launched an over ambitious drive to rid the pubic transport vehicles of their music systems majority of matadors plying on different routes across the city have reinstalled or bought new music systems to entertain their passengers.

Few days ago the traffic cops along with senior district police officers have carried out a special drive of deinstalling music systems from the public transport buses. Ironically, paying little or no attention to the directives and strict warning issued by the traffic cops to drivers and conductors majority of them are running music system much to the chagrin of commuters.

The traffic cops had carried out the exercise after large number of commuters has complained to the senior cops through writing complaints to rid the public transport system of this menace.

For few days the transporters and owners of these matadors’ exercised self control but majority of them surrendered before the wishes of their operators who were pushing hard to install.

The argument given by these operators to their promoters was very straight. Music is the only source of entertainment for us we bear unbearable heat for long hours.

After listening to their arguments the owners of these matadors allowed their drives to install music systems but added a single liner rider not to play vulgar songs at high volume and listen to the suggestions of commuters in this regard. When contacted senior traffic cops on duty across Jammu admitted that we cannot stop every matador owner from installing music systems.

The traffic police officer said our job is to restrict use of music systems which largely creates noise pollution and from time to time we carry out regular checks and challan matador operators for violating norms of motor vehicles department.

Meanwhile, a comprehensive city transport plan for the twin capitals of Jammu and Srinagar was discussed at a high level meeting chaired by Minister for Transport, Qamar Ali Akhoon today. Besides the Minister of State for Transport, CAPD, Shabir Ahmad Khan, the meeting was attended by Secretary Transport, Secretary, Urban Development, Vice Chairman, Jammu Development Authority, Vice Chairman Srinagar Development Authority, Transport Commissioner and other concerned officers.

The meeting was informed that within two months, Jammu Development Authority and Srinagar Development Authority will come up with a proposal with preparation of documents and evaluation. The meeting decided to set up the multi disciplinary committees for Jammu and Srinagar cities headed by respective Vice Chairman of two Development Authorities with Chief Architect of two concerned authorities as the Member Secretaries and Chief Town Planner, Chief Architect, SSP Traffic, SE, R&B and RTO concerned as the members.

The meeting was told that the Transport department will initiate the steps for setting up of the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority. The meeting was told that for better traffic management latest technology will be put to use with most rapid transit system put in place wherein less vehicles will be used for larger transportation of people. After the necessary ground work is completed the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority will be established for regulating the public transport.

The meeting also discussed the identification of land for establishment of legal metrology offices both in JammuSrinagar besides the land for establishment of CAPD office at Jammu with the JDA and SDA. and

The up keep and maintenance of CAPD godowns at Ware-House, Jammu was also discussed and the JDA was directed by the Minister to ensure proper up keep and sanitation at the spot.

JK's main glacier 'Kolahoi glacier' melting at alarming pace'

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Jammu & Kashmir's biggest glacier, which feeds the region's main river, is melting faster than other Himalayas glaciers, threatening the water supply of tens of thousands of people, a new report warned on Monday.

Experts say rising temperatures are rapidly shrinking Himalayan glaciers, underscoring the effects of climate change that has caused temperatures in the mountainous region to rise by about 1.1 degrees Celsius in the past 100 years.

The biggest glacier in Indian Kashmir, the Kolahoi glacier spread over just a little above 11 sq km (4.25 sq mile), has shrunk 2.63 sq km in the past three decades, a new study said.

"Kolahoi glacier is shrinking 0.08 square kilometres a year, which is an alarming speed," said the study, presented at a workshop on "Climate Change, Glacial Retreat and Livelihoods," in Srinagar, Indian Kashmir's summer capital.

The three year-long study was led by glaciologist Shakil Ramsoo, assistant professor in the department of geology at the University of Kashmir.

The Kolahoi glacier is the main source of water for Kashmir's biggest river, the Jhelum, and its many streams and lakes.

According to a United Nations Environment Programme and World Glacier Monitoring Service study, the average melting rate of mountain glaciers has doubled since the turn of the millennium, with record losses seen in 2006 at several sites.

But India's Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said in August there was a need for more scientific studies to conclusively establish the link between climate change and shrinking glaciers.

He said while "a couple of" Himalayan glaciers were receding, some others such as the Siachen glacier were advancing, while others like the Gangotri glacier were receding at a decreasing rate compared with the last two decades.

But Ramsoo said: "Other small Kashmir glaciers are also shrinking and the main reason is that the winter temperature in Kashmir is rising."

Experts say the melting of Kashmir glaciers could have serious fallout as most Kashmiris rely on glaciers for water.