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Written by: Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat

Category: ENVIRONMENT

Published: 07 April 2015

 Railways, Highways, or Residential Colonies; everything goes into destroying the natural scheme of things

After witnessing the worst floods last year, Kashmir was once again faced with floods because of the incessant rains, causing huge loss to life, property and other infrastructure. Although the intensity of these floods cannot be compared with the one that submerged Srinagar last year, but the continuous downpour for more than a week, due to the recent western disturbances, caused huge water-logging and land sliding in Srinagar, Budgam, and other districts of Jammu & Kashmir. Experts relate these floods and incessant rainfall with climate changes. That is very true, but there are other aspects involved as well which we must not ignore. It is not for the the first time that heavy rainfall has occurred during spring season. As the natural drainage system, water channels, and other water-bodies have been chocked due to massive urbanization in the Srinagar and its outskirts, we now witness continuous water-logging and flood like situations in valley. 

•  Kashmir an ecologically fragile zone: 

We have to keep one thing in mind that the place where we live is just a “Valley” and not a place like place like Delhi, Punjab, or Haryana. The plain area of our valley is 180 kilometers long from Qazigund to Kupwara and around 30 to 40 kilometers wide. Within this area we want to have everything - big roads, railways, shopping malls, universities, colleges, schools, residential colonies, hospitals, playgrounds, community halls, multi storied residential apartments, government offices, army cantonments, military bases, police headquarters, power receiving stations, water filtration plants, factories, industries, brick kilns, stone crushing units, hotels and more. We want to compete with Delhi, Mumbai, or Singapore like places, but that is not at all possible for us in view of the geographical location, area and climate. We must dream big but we have to understand the idea of development. The development should not be related to concrete structures erected at the cost of environment. We have to create a model of development that is Kashmir friendly, and our Government must be serious about it now. 

• Shrinking of Land: 

Just a decade back when we used to go to Gulmarg , we could find lots of poplar trees on both sides of the Srinagar - Gulmarg road, right from Narbal. There were extensive paddy fields located in this area, but under the garb of development we have sacrificed all of it. The poplar trees were cut down during road widening, and paddy fields have been converted into shopping complexes. Kashmiri handicraft show rooms, petrol pumps and hotels have come up. All this was done, and is being done, without any proper plan. We could have constructed handicraft showrooms, hotels and petrol pumps and that is needed, but at some specific points and not everywhere. Due to such haphazard constructions on agriculture land everywhere, Kashmir valley is now shrinking at an alarming rate and we are now heading towards a self-created disaster. 

• Unplanned Railways & Highways: 

Two decades back Kashmir valley gave a perfect image of lush, green countryside but the insatiable greed for money changed everything and the paddy fields of the valley have been buried under massive road projects, railways, highways and residential colonies. Hundreds of acres of agricultural land in Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam, and Baramulla was acquired during the construction of Qazigund – Baramulla railway project. This unplanned railway project has also played a role in flooding Srinagar and other areas of the valley, as there was no easy exit for the flood / rain water due to huge elevated location of the railway line which acts as a barrier for the flood water to flow out easily. Had our railway line been constructed under ground, we could have easily saved our agriculture land. Similarly instead of acquiring hundreds of acres of land for the widening of National Highway (NH-1) the National Highways Authorities of India (NHAI) in consultation with J&K Government could have constructed dozens of flyovers right from Qazigund to Narbal which would have saved agriculture land. 

• Conclusion: 

The new Government, under the leadership of Mufti Mohammad Syed, has assumed office recently. There are some professional and experienced people in CM’s cabinet who have a clear idea of sustainable development. I would sincerely request the Chief Minister to chalk out a strategy along with his senior Cabinet Ministers for ensuring that no further damage happens to the fragile environment of our state. Government must seek assistance of the experts. In addition to that there is immediate need of creating awareness among the masses about the idea of real development, one that is mindful of Kashmir’s environment.