Poison apples

Scientists are already raising the alarm over the rising levels of toxicity in the lakes and springs of the Valley. K.D. Farooqi, scientist with theSher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences, minces no words: 8220;The Valley has been turned into a toxic dump by the fungicide manufacturers.8221; Farooqi had worked for 20 years to evolve a scab-resistant apple variety, the propagation of which could spell an end to use of toxic chemicals in the local orchards. These varieties have won him accolades in scientific circles. But Farooqi is not satisfied with just that. 8220;I wish these varieties could be introduced to farmers. But it is like breaking your head to attempt breaking the nexus between pesticide distributors and the state8217;s bureaucrats,8221; he says.

Farooqi8217;s concerns are shared by environmentalist and scientists but not by government agencies themselves. 8220;You don8217;t expect farmers to simply cut their apple trees and start following what scientists are suggesting, do you?8221; says a horticultural officer, cynically.

But the state is already paying a price for his cynicism. The poisoned water bodies of Kashmir are already showing the impact of suchlethargy. A number of animals, birds and even plant species have fallen prey to it. In fact, the environmentalists are already worried about the increasing deaths of nightingales 8212; bulbuls 8212; in the state and feel the species may get wiped out in the Valley.

As environmental issues take a backstage in this politically and militarily volatile state, Kashmir is fast turning into an environmental hell. Its water pollution has reached optimum levels and lakes and rivers are choked with silt and filth. What makes it worse are the constructions in and around the lakes of Kashmir.

The state government agencies have been grappling with restoration of Dal and Wular lakes for years without tangible results. The Dal Lake Development Project, which has continued for about 20 years, has not resulted in clearance of even an inch of encroached land. However, it has been a source of easy funds for the administrators in charge of it. Scores of officers associated with the project in the past have been booked forcorruption by the vigilance department.

8220;In one case, we have found an engineer in possession of assets like a 35-room guest house in one of Srinagar8217;s posh localities, a palatial bungalow in Jammu and Delhi besides cash and jewellery worth crores of rupees,8221; a senior officer of the State Vigilance department told the Indian Express.

Ironically, despite the ecological mess it finds itself in, the State government has failed to keep pace with the growing environmental consciousness in the country and not even identified its areas of concern. Never is this more manifest than in the callous fashion brick kilns have been allowed to proliferate in the upper reaches of Budgam, the central Kashmir district. In the village of Watergam alone, about ten brick kilns spew black fumes and turn the life of about 300 residents in the area into a veritable hell. The villages have developed asthma, skin irritations and other pollution-related diseases. Asked about the issue, Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, theminister for environment and forests, claimed that a notice had been issued to the brick kiln owners. But despite this, life continues to be miserable for the people of Watergam and scores of other villages.

Environmentalists point to another case of mismanagement. Wular lake, located in north Kashmir, rated as one of the most ten threatened water bodies of the world in the Ramsar Convention, is Asia8217;s largest fresh. As Jhelum, the lifeline of Kashmir, submerges into this lake only to resurface again, the lake is fed a heavy dose of muck and silt, causing it to shrink rapidly.

A rather bizzare way was employed to save the lake. While the environmentalist monitored the body for encroachments and continued dredging the silt, the soil conservation department of the government had chosen its shores for afforestation. As a result, the marsh around the lake got converted into soil which in turn have been converted into paddy fields or farms by the nearby villagers. The lake, meanwhile, remains in its shrunkenstate.

The state government8217;s lethargy in saving the environment was again reflected recently when it diverted central funds worth Rs 35 crore, meant for the ambitious Dal lake cleansing project. It was a telling move which clearly showed that the cash-strapped government finds environmental concerns dispensable.

And for final proof of this, one just has to follow the recent moves of the Farooq government to ban the use of polythene. It was a much-hyped venture, showcased as a great social campaign, with Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, publicly denouncing the use of polythene and announcing a ban on its use in all the tourist spots of Kashmir. The ban was never implemented. This was followed by the government8217;s sudden announcement of a state-wide ban on the use of polythene.

But the babus either forgot or didn8217;t care to make alternative arrangements. Not surprisingly, the ban has since been withdrawn because it just could not be implemented. Interestingly, Leh 8212; up in the extreme north, which is oneof the most ecologically fragile regions in the country, has shown the way to the world. The use of polythene in this tourist-friendly region is totally banned and any foreigner found carrying this non-degradable stuff is expected to carry back his litter!

It8217;s not as if Kashmiris cannot emulate the Ladhakis in doing this. It8217;s just that their state government has failed to summon up the requisite will.