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Chalk out adequate action plan

Young Bites. Dated: 5/29/2017 11:51:41 AM

There is a very tangible link between our environment and our health. In fact, environmental degradation’s first assault is on our bodies and this is one of the biggest reasons why we try to protect the environment. But the linkage is complex and is often disputed. We need to join the dots. We are often not able to take crucial decisions as we really do not know what is happening to our health and how is it linked to the environment. We don’t know and so we don’t care. We need to improve the environment, reduce the disease burden and save money in private or public healthcare. The way forward would be to reduce the source of air pollution—mainly revamping our transportation systems and forcing the industry to come up with cleaner technologies. But people are not aware of these linkages and continue to junk public transport. 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. 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’. 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. 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. Climate change is leading to greater frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Simultaneously, India has seen an increase in vector-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria. Meanwhile, the noise pollution is another matter of concern for the people in city of temples. Within few days after the traffic cops had launched an over ambitious drive to rid the public transport vehicles of their music systems majority of matadors plying on different routes across the city have reinstalled or bought new music systems to entertain their passengers. Few days ago the traffic cops along with senior district police officers have carried out a special drive of reinstalling music systems from the public transport buses. Ironically, paying little or no attention to the directives and strict warning issued by the traffic cops to drivers and conductors majority of them are running music system much to the chagrin of commuters. World Environment Day is an annual event that is regarded as the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive environmental action. World Environment Day activities take place all year round and climax on 5 June every year, involving everyone from everywhere. Keeping pace with world, the government of J&K and civil society too celebrate Environment Day by organizing symposia, seminars, rallies and other awareness programmes. But the need of the hour is to move beyond mere tokenism, which is so much in evidence on this day every year. This time around we – the people and government of J&K – should focus on generating true awareness of the environmental problem we are facing and to chalkout an adequate action plan to maintain the ecological balance.