WEDDINGS and other functions in Kashmir were lack luster during the lockdown but as soon as the lockdown was lifted, people started to spend lavishly on weddings yet again.
The introduction of new ostentations in weddings and other functions is affecting the economic underprivileged section of the society. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had said, simplicity is the part of faith. Aren’t we disrespecting the teachings of our Prophet (SAW) by bragging, showoff and introducing new things in an already elaborate wedding?
Our Environment too is getting polluted in a number of ways by anthropogenic activities. It has now become a victim of the fat weddings of Kashmir. For the preparation of Wazwaan about 15,000 trees are cut down a day for firewood. Trees being the oxygen givers are cut from life to prepare Wazwaan dishes just to feed the swarm of invitees. Trees are paying the price of pomp of the weddings.
Disposables are used immensely these days in weddings and other occasions. A disposable bowl is put on a minaret of rice in Trami/plate to hold the Gushtaba-the last dish of the Wazwaan. Soap, towel and other things packed in square or circular disposable boxes are part of each Trami. A rectangular disposable tray having 4-5 compartments is used for salad and some condiments. A heap of disposables is collected and put into the bins installed on the road side in towns which is not disposed-off properly then and the used disposable stuff is heedlessly thrown on the river banks or directly into the river in villages. For instance, in Bandipora town the people put the disposables used in the wedding functions in the bins which are emptied on the dumping zone which is just 3 km away from the Wullar Lake. The used non-biodegradable disposables which are thrown into the rivers finally makes its way to the sink -Wullar Lake and has a devastating impact on the waters of the Lake and its ecosystem. On 26 March 2019, the government banned the non-biodegradable materials in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the ban did not stop disposable sellers from selling the stuff. Additionally, a lot of water is used to wash the copper pots in which the Wazwaan dishes are cooked. The murky water goes into the streams and thus pollutes them and the sink in which they ultimately reach.
In a nutshell, our customs are affecting the environment adversely. If we live in simplicity and austerity we can save our environment to a great extent.
Asyia Qadir
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