by Muhammad Nadeem
Upholding nationwide insurance policies just like the Wetlands Guidelines 2017, whereas tailoring methods to the native context, will help reverse the tide of degradation. Srinagar’s wetlands symbolize the area’s ecological wealth – preserving them is crucial for each nature’s and residents’ sake.
Wetlands play a significant ecological and socioeconomic function in Jammu and Kashmir. Nonetheless, in current many years, these wetlands have come below extreme anthropogenic stress, dealing with threats similar to air pollution, encroachment, and drainage points. As highlighted within the supply textual content, wetlands in Srinagar have declined drastically from 102 km2 in 1911 to solely 10.9 km2 by 2004. Specific cases mirror this alarming development of degradation.
As an illustration, Anchar Lake lined 19.54 sq km within the Eighteen Nineties (Lawrence, 1895) however has now shrunk to only 4.26 km2. The principle components driving this 89 per cent discount are waste dumping and discharge from hospitals and wastewater vegetation. Equally, Dal Lake has witnessed intensive encroachment and proliferation of settlements, with its space decreasing from 32 sq km in 1859 to solely 24 sq km presently. About 1,200 houseboats on Dal Lake are additionally main sources of untreated sewage. BrariNambal lagoon has witnessed a 23 per cent decline within the space from 1971 to 2002. The wetland is now choked with effluents from a dysfunctional sewage therapy plant constructed on its southern edge.
The Hokersar wetland, designated as a Ramsar web site in 2005, has misplaced 5.75 sq km of its space over the previous 4 many years. Deforestation and siltation have brought about the wetland depth to say no from 1.12m in 1980 to only 0.63m by 2002. Invasive macrophytic species have additionally proliferated right here. As per research. (1978), the water high quality of Hokersar wetland has deteriorated drastically as effectively over the previous few many years.
General, the five major drivers behind wetland loss in Srinagar are city growth into wetland areas, drainage points referring to encroachment of channels, siltation from deforestation, sewage and agricultural runoff inflicting eutrophication, and unplanned development. Reversing these harmful traits is essential, as wetlands present a variety of ecological companies, similar to flood management, biodiversity conservation, water purification and groundwater recharge. In addition they have main cultural and financial significance, underlying agriculture, fisheries, and tourism within the area.
Defending these helpful ecosystems requires prohibiting encroachments, regulating air pollution sources like sewage, restoring wetland hydrology and bathymetry, growing neighborhood stewardship by teaching programs, and integrating wetlands into city planning. Srinagar urgently needs an built-in wetland administration plan centred on conservation, sustainable use and restoration ideas. Failing to behave now will drastically compound the impacts of disasters just like the 2014 Kashmir floods, because the wetlands’ floodwater absorption capacities decline additional.
Upholding nationwide insurance policies just like the Wetlands Guidelines 2017, whereas tailoring methods to the native context, will help reverse the tide of degradation. Srinagar’s wetlands symbolize the area’s ecological wealth – preserving them is crucial for each nature’s and residents’ sake.
Here’s a record from the Kashmîr Life archives that can assist the readers:
Parvez Yousef, a grasp’s scholar residing in Chatlam, fights towards looking and poaching through the winter season.
The NC constructed a towering gate, Babul Iqbal, on the principle highway in 2018, marking the formal entry into the principle metropolis.
The Hokersar wetland, the queen of wetlands, situated on Srinagar’s outskirts, is dying. Folks dwelling on its fringes are changing the wetland right into a rubbish dumping web site, and the Irrigation and Flood Management Division has dug a deep outflow channel into the wetland.
A social activist initiated the primary civilian effort to revive the freshwater lake, however authorities require chipping in to assist transfer the mode.
Abdul Majeed has gone to courtroom to guard a wetland that will quickly develop into a playfield for schoolchildren. The forest minister supported his actions to forestall the vandalization of Sheikhsar.
How Pollution Kills Fish In Kashmir’s Oxygen-Deficient Lakes?
A lot of lifeless fish have been discovered floating in Dal Lake in Srinagar, the summer season capital of Jammu & Kashmir, simply after India concluded internet hosting a G20 assembly about tourism on the banks of the lake.
Water chestnuts harvested from Wullar Lake have helped Kashmir survive the worst days within the final 250 years, however merchants are making one of the best of it.
Wullar Lake has shrunk during the last 100 years, and a five-year conservation plan has been proposed to reserve it.
The wetlands of Pampore, Kranchu, Manibug, Chandhaara, Narkara, Baednambal and Maligaam, as soon as well-known locations, are actually termed as not so necessary by the officers.
How the wetlands are being transformed into business ventures in Kashmir districts.
The Jhelum river overflowed into Sonawari village, and it took villagers 25 days to get again into their crumbling homes.
Hokersar -The Heaven of Migratory Birds
Hokersar wetland is the heaven of migratory birds as a result of tens of hundreds of waterfowl select to go to this wetland throughout winter. The warden and his staff make it possible for these visitor birds get pleasure from their sojourn go to easily.
Over three lakh avian guests come to Kashmir yearly to luxuriate within the comparatively tolerable milieu. They burst right into a cacophony of sounds, breaking the routine silence.
Dal Lake: A Monograph
Within the early Nineties, Prof Dr MRD Kundangar authored an in depth scientific monograph on the Dal Lake, which was later utilised in launching a full-fledged conservation challenge.
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