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| Environmental degradation on rise in J&K | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Nov 4: Environmental degradation in different forms of air, water, and noise pollution goes on unchecked in Jammu and Kashmir with concerned authorities including State Pollution Control Board and other agencies sleeping over what environmentalists say "a ticking time bomb'.
An expert on the condition of anonymity said that pollution in varied forms has been causing environmental degradation in the state and consequently glaciers in Jammu and Kashmir are now melting at a faster pace, threatening the survival of habitations in low lying areas."
Attributing the problem to rapid deforestation and rampant use of fossil fuels he says, "Solution lies in aforestation and adopting solar, nuclear, hydro-power, wind and geo-thermal energies in place of fossil fuels."
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 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. e said that haphazard industrialization in Jammu and Kashmir 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," he said, adding "as compared to population density and area vis-à-vis Tokyo, Jammu today has more vehicles." These vehicles have been adding to air pollution without any serious exercise by the government to check emissions of greenhouse gases, he said.
A senior official in the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) admitted that SPCB has buried its head Ostrich like to the increasing air and water pollution in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said, "Haphazard industrialization in the wake of faulty checks of emissions and effluents by SPCB have been degrading environment across the state."
He said that chemicals required for checking air pollutants like carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide in the SPM are not available with the scientists in SPCB.
He also disclosed that No Objection Certificate from SPCB for setting up industrial units was just an eye-wash. "Under rules every industrial unit in the state has to submit a self monitoring report to SPCB after every six months but private testing laboratories issue these reports in lieu of money, he said." |
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