Kashmir Flooding: Cause for Calamity

Kashmir is witnessing an epic flooding unprecedented in the history of Kashmir. Kashmir as a nation faced an annihilation. Kashmir may narrowly escape the unthinkable, but catastrophe will resonate with our lives and history, unless we fail to write it down. As the saying goes, if lessons are not learn from the history we are doomed to repeat it. Therefore, hard questions must be asked, for example, what was the root cause of this flooding? Who is to be blamed and is it really the end or such flooding going to be a recurring feature? Such questions can only be answered when the notion that this flooding was a Natural calamity is rejected! This calamity has been in the making for the past 40 years. Two main factors are responsible, faulty approach of the forceful integration of geographically isolated Kashmir with India and token State government. 

Deforestation

Kashmiris have been warned by the 15th century Kashmiri intellectual and poet Alamdar Kashmir Sheikh Noor Din Wali (RA) of the unprecedented calamity if forests are not protected. He expressed this in the form of a very famous Kashmiri shruk (couplet), “Ann Poshe Tele Yele Wan Poshe,” which translates into English as, “sustenance will last as long as the forests last.” There is absolutely no denying the fact that survival of Kashmir with its distinct identity is dependent on the survival of forests. Forests of Kashmir play a crucial role in maintaining the homeostasis of its fragile mountain climate. Forest cover excluding the urban forests was estimated to cover about 50% of total geographical area of Kashmir helping to maintain the moderate temperature. Forests of Kashmir by helping to keep the climate cooler, high pressure maritime wind currents moving from the Mediterranean Ocean does not cause heavy precipitation over Kashmir. This is the reason why Kashmir always gets only partial monsoon related disturbances. 

It is estimated that trees can hold up to 50% of total rain from falling onto the ground and the rest of the rain get absorbed in the soil due to extensive root structures, thus, helping to reduce the significant amount of water reaching into rivers. In the past several decades, in the face of lack of accountability and due to government corruption, Kashmir has been losing forest cover at an alarming rate, according to some estimates, 10,000 conifers are axed annually in Kashmir turning 40% of forest cover into human habitation. Likewise, timber smuggling mafias who operate with impunity and sometime in full collaboration with government officials, army and paramilitary militias (renegades) have devastated forests. The army and other security establishments have been maintaining an extensive presence in Kashmir. These establishments, unfortunately, in the face of lack of government and judicial regulations and lack of concern for the environment have been felling trees relentless clearing thousands of acres of forest area for building permanent barracks for housing, training exercises and asphalt roads for round the year accessibility. Likewise, Kashmir has undergone extensive, but the chaotic growth of concrete structures everywhere thanks to absence of any proper planning for urban development and corrupt practices of local administration and city municipal authorities contributing along with deforestation, blocking of water channels, clogging of Jhelum and not to talk about other fateful ideas of successive National Conference governments cumulating into the current episode of fateful flooding.

Carbon Footprint

The mountain climate of Kashmir has been steadily warming. Over the past several years summer in Kashmir remains unusually hot and in winters it received small amount of snow. There are several factors responsible for this phenomenon. Apart from deforestation, “carbon footprint” has been on the rise in Kashmir contributing significantly to the rise in atmospheric temperature. As soon as the spring ends in Kashmir, the population begins to swell to many million extra individual in the form of close to million Amarnath yatris, who visit annually to Hindu holy cave located in the mountains of southern Kashmir, non-local visitors of all types ranging from high end tourists to laborers to beggars. There stay and movement in and out of Kashmir requires transportation and other logistics, contributing to an overall increase in the carbon footprint. Likewise, maintaining the presence of over million security personnel round the year and throughout Kashmir requires huge logistical support, therefore, constant vehicular movement for bringing in supplies and shifting of personnel contributes further into the vehicular pollution, this along with the consumption of charcoal and wood in winters adds significantly to the carbon footprint. Railways in Kashmir have been one of the dream projects of the Central government. The assumption is that by linking Kashmir with the rest of country, the transportation of logistics and men will be maintained round the year. This ongoing mega project in the last 10 years have seen blasting of Pir-Panchal Mountain range releasing along the way manufacture grade pollutants, mountain of dust and chemicals into the atmosphere, in addition to causing massive deforestation. Finally, when railways to Kashmir become fully operational bringing in extra million people, the carbon footprint that is already rising is expected to rise to alarming levels. The immediate effect of enhanced carbon footprint is the rise of temperature in the mountain climate of Kashmir. A rise in temperature creates low pressure zones and high pressure cooler wind currents rising from the Mediterranean Ocean as discussed in the section above, is likely to cause heavy precipitation. The incessant rainfall prior to flooding Kashmir witnessed could be due to this reason. A similar devastation cannot be ruled out in future unless practical and immediate steps are taken.  

Practical Steps

Geographically small and ecologically sensitive Kashmir cannot handle politicizing environment in the name of national integration. This should apply to any other environmentally sensitive federal State of India. The extensive security presence, million men Yatra, acute deforestation, unrestricted constructions and vehicular movement, induction of railways, diverting of water resources etc. have proven detrimental for the Kashmir. Token State government infested with corrupted individuals, unskilled and corrupted bureaucracy with its non-functioning institutions and unskilled engineers and advisors and planners, it is doubtful that anything will change on the ground in Kashmir despite massive devastation flooding caused. If we want to save Kashmir from further damage, each one of us including experts and well-wishers in the country and around the World who hold love for Kashmir has a duty to do practical steps. Here is the list of things that can be done to avoid the recurrence of such devastation. Massive afforestation is required, both as a conviction and as a tribute to Sheikh Noor din Wali (RA). This should include extensive plantation of trees all along the major highways, country and interior roads. Timber smuggling and logging has to be confronted with urgency. This only will ensure conifer forests to recover through their own mechanism, unfortunately, that is going to take a long time but we can also resort to plantation. Grasslands, which are used for pasturing, should be converted into woodland. Trees absorb carbon lowering the carbon footprint and helping to keep the mountain climate temperature moderate. Likewise, cooler temperature will sustain longer winters further helping to lower the carbon footprint. Our forefathers left for us thick forest cover and urban forests, extensive plantations of majestic Chinar trees, network of canals and channels for the flow of water, we need to restore those channels. Trees must be planted all along the Jhelum and other catchment areas so that in case of incessant rain, a portion of the rain is retained by the trees. A dam shall be built along the Jhelum that could be used to divert water in case of flooding that will avoid the kind of situation witnessed for civil lines areas. A serious ban and exemplary punishment must be enforced for felling forest trees and unregulated constructions. The duration of Amaranath Yatra must be reduced and the number of tourists visiting Kashmir must be regulated.

Tailpiece: Kashmir shall never be altered as long as the forests of Kashmir are conserved and safeguarded. This is promised to us by Alamdar Kashmir Sheikh Noor din Wali (RA). 

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