An Editorial in the Kashmir Images highlights a major challenge facing Kashmir today
Climatic Worries
It is heartening to note that Kashmir University is gearing up to the challenges of climate change and has formed a working group which would suggest strategic plans to and outline the policies and actions required to be taken by the different organizations in the state to undo the climate change impacts. It is for the first time that an issue as grave as that of climate change is getting focused here as till date beyond debates and discussions, nothing serious has been done on this front.
While the climatic changes are fearfully threatening to impact the Himalaya’s natural resource base particularly the water resources and forestry, the concerned agencies and the authorities have, by and large, remained unconcerned to this grave problem. Convener of the Kashmir University’s working group has presented a very alarming scenario which needs all the concerned to pull their socks and start working to mitigate the impacts of climatic changes. The glaciers are receding and as per the recent study by the working group over 16 per cent of glaciers have been lost in Suru basin during last forty years while as 18 per cent have been lost in Kolhai glacier, the main glacier for the irrigation and drinking water supplies of the valley.
It is for the first time that a serious study is being made to see the impact of climatic changes, identify the sensitive areas and suggest measures to deal with the impact. Kashmir University needs to involve the government agencies and environment related non governmental organizations to make the things happen.
Chewang Norphel of Ladakh, fondly known as a glacier man, a retired civil engineer, who figured out a way to trap the waters that melt down the high mountains should be an inspiration for all the working groups and concerned citizens. He turns the water chunks of ice or artificial glaciers, which in the summer irrigate the water-starved fields. Though Ladakh is a place of immense natural beauty, but for locals it is a cold desert where survival depends on careful use of sparse natural resources including water as there are little or no rains and the villages are perched at a height and the rivers are too low. The region acute crisis of irrigating agricultural land as the high glaciers melt in June, but the sowing period starts months before. Here also the people are face to face with this crisis because of receding glaciers. To counter this crisis the first artificial glacier was created in Phuktse Pho village in 1987 and six more followed after that and these glaciers have started taking care of irrigation in several areas.
While one should appreciate Kashmir University for forming the working group to study climatic change, need is to make people aware of the crisis so that they too join hands in saving Kashmir’s water bodies. Everyone may not be a glacier man like Chewang Norphel, but everyone can contribute his/her bit, atleast, in preservation of existing water bodies like Dal, Wular, Jehlum etc.