Green issues in J&K

Mains Paper 3 : Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia |

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Dal and Wular Lake, Indus Water Treaty

Mains level : Green issues in J&K

Even as Articles 370 and 35A generate considerable heat in Jammu & Kashmir, crucial issues of ecology and environment remain conspicuously ignored by all.

Geopolitical fallouts impacting environment

Shrinking glaciers tops this list. Through summer these glaciers charge the Valley’s water bodies, like streams and canals used in irrigation and rivers that flow into Pakistan.
The state also witnesses two of its major lakes — Dal and Wular — become smaller.

I. Shrinking waterbodies

Dal, the mascot of Kashmir’s famed natural beauty and a major tourist puller, has shrunk around 36 per cent in almost four decades.
According to a study by Srinagar’s Directorate of Environment, Ecology and Remote Sensing, it has shrunk to 1,620 hectares in 2008 from 2,547 hectares in 1971.
Wular, which is the largest fresh water lake in Asia and was designated a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1990, is worse than Dal.
Since 1911, the overall water spread and marsh areas have shrunk by more than 50 per cent.
The water-holding capacity of the lake that helps prevents floods and drought is fast diminishing.

II. Conversion of farmlands

Over the past three decades, Kashmir has also witnessed a steady conversion of farmland into ones used for non-agricultural purposes.
As a result, food grain deficit, which in 1950-51 was 32 per cent, has now shot up to 81.5 per cent.

III. Issue over Indus Water

Recently, India threatened to stop J&K rivers from entering Pakistan after the Pulwama attack.
According to the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), Pakistan gets water from three J&K rivers — Jhelum, Sindh and Chenab — and India gets the right to completely divert water from Punjab rivers — Satluj, Ravi and Beas.
Shrinking glaciers threaten to reduce the discharge in J&K rivers, which will reduce the distribution of waters between neighbours.
If there is less water available to meet J&K needs, even lesser will flow to Pakistan. This may impact the country’s agriculture and its economy.

IV. Issue over Hydropower

Another related issue is hydro-power generation, again a politically touchy issue.
Under IWT, the Valley can only generate electricity from run-of-the-river power projects.
So, the depleting discharge in rivers will mean a progressive decline in generation capacity.
But, as of now, J&K faces severe shortage of electricity, an irony for a state that exports power to the rest of the country.
According to an estimate, around 84 per cent of the 3593 megawatt of energy generated in J&K goes to the northern grid and the state buys a chunk of it back for a hefty cost.

Kashmir is in Despair

The state doesn’t even have an agency to address its water problems as IWT already takes care of the larger issue — the rivers.
About receding of glaciers, the state can hardly do anything. One of the factors that may be accentuating the shrinkage, apart from climate change, is Amarnath Yatra.
But regulating pilgrimage to protect the fragile environment is too politically sensitive an issue to be addressed.

Lack of awareness

J&K faces mass unemployment, an underperforming economy (as the state imports 96 per cent of goods) and dwindling tourism.
In popular perception, the accent in public discourse on development and environment issues is perceived as a motivated digression from the ongoing secessionist campaign.
People see these development and environment related issues as secondary to the political issues of existential nature confronting the state.
Issues like water, power and development are seen as a consequence of the political conflict in and over the state and are hence not considered addressable unless the conflict itself is resolved.

Way Forward

J&K is important for environmental stability of the subcontinent.
So the issues of the state’s disappearing water bodies, receding glaciers needs to be openly discussed on their merit unencumbered by the political and religious sensitivities and the interests.
Neglecting green issues in public discourse and the consequent lack of effective administrative redressal can cost not only J&K but the entire region heavily.

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