Subscribe
Once famed for pristine air, Jammu and Kashmir now records year-round moderate to poor AQI, with winter levels touching 300–400.
Experts say transport emissions, especially diesel vehicles, drive nearly half the pollution.
Vehicle registrations are soaring by about 20,000 a month, while electric vehicles remain few, fuelling respiratory illnesses and threatening glacier-fed drinking water.
Jammu and Kashmir, known for its clean air and pure environment till a few decades ago, is no longer untouched by air pollution. Like other parts of India, this mountainous region too is rapidly falling prey to pollution. The main cause is the transport sector, according to experts.
In the Khonmoh area of Srinagar, the Air Quality Index (AQI) remained between 100 and 200 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m³) in the first six months of this year (January to June). This is categorised as ‘moderate’ by the Central Pollution Control Board. In November and December 2025, the AQI here was recorded at 279 and 246 μg/m³ respectively, which is categorised as ‘Poor’.
According to data from the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee, during the past year, from August 2025 to July 2026, the AQI was not in the ‘Good’ category (0-50 μg/m³)) for any month. Even during the monsoon months, which are considered the cleanest, the air quality was not good. Air quality was worst in most parts of Jammu and Kashmir in November, December, and January. Data from many monitoring stations is also unavailable.
The transport sector contributes the most to deteriorating air quality in Jammu and Kashmir. According to experts, the transport sector contributes approximately 50 percent of air pollution.
Firdous Manzoor, a long-time respiratory specialist at the CD (Chest Diseases) Hospital in Dalgate, Srinagar, and currently serving at the Government Hospital in Gausia, told Down To Earth (DTE) that earlier, burning of biomass was the biggest cause of pollution. Currently though, the use of petrochemicals is contributing the most to it.
He added that as air pollution has increased, so has the number of respiratory patients in hospital outpatient departments. CD Hospital data shows that 18,672 people visited the emergency department in 2017-18, which increased to 32,133 in 2023-24. Similarly, the number of patients in the IPD (In-Patients Department) increased from 4,315 to 7,480 during this period. Experts also attribute this increase to air pollution.
According to Manzoor, the increasing number of vehicles on the roads are responsible for pollutants being inhaled by people and even reaching the bloodstream. “In the 1990s, there were only 2-3 cars in our neighbourhood, whereas now every household has 2-3 vehicles. Diesel vehicles are the most common among the increased vehicular traffic, which is a major source of pollution,” said Manzoor.
A review of vehicle registration data with the Jammu and Kashmir Transport Department reveals that 2,664,696 vehicles have been registered so far. The growth rate of registered vehicles in 2025 was 6.07 per cent. Jammu City has the largest share of registered vehicles, (8.8 lakh or 0.88 million). At second place is Srinagar, with 4.10 lakh or 0.410 million vehicles registered.
According to the Vehicle Dashboard, more than 1.4 lakh or 0.14 million vehicles have been registered so far in 2026. In 2025, 1.79 lakh or 0.179 million vehicles were registered in Jammu and Kashmir, followed by 1.71 lakh (0.171 million) in 2023 and 1.62 lakh (0.162 million) in 2022. According to the data, the number of vehicles on the roads in Jammu and Kashmir is increasing by approximately 20,000 every month.
Fossil fuel vehicles account for the largest share of these vehicles. For example, of the 140,000 vehicles registered in 2026, more than 107,000 were petrol-powered, while around 20,000 were diesel-powered. Electric vehicles, meanwhile, numbered only 10,396. Three-wheelers (autos) constituted the largest share of these vehicles.
In Jammu and Kashmir, smoke from fossil fuel vehicles is contributing to rising air pollution levels. Mutaharra Abida Waheed Deva, a retired scientist from the Jammu and Kashmir State Pollution Control Board and currently the director of the Valley Industrial Pollution Control, Environment Management and Climate Change (VIPCECC) consultancy, told DTE that pollution levels rise so much in winter that even walking becomes difficult.
According to Deva, dust mixes with the air during this season and becomes stagnant. She says that the AQI in Srinagar can reach 300-400 at this time, which is unusual. She adds that due to the reduction in public transport, the number of private vehicles is increasing rapidly, contributing 40-50 per cent to air pollution.
Fayaz Ahmed, a scientist with the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Board, told DTE that air quality varies seasonally. Starting in November, air quality increases, and particulate matter levels settle. He attributes this to Srinagar’s bowl-shaped location. Ahmed also attributes the pollution in Srinagar to the approximately 600,000-700,000 vehicles that come from outside, leaving behind their pollution impacts everywhere.
Raja Muzaffar Bhat, founder of the Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Movement and Climate Action Group, told DTE that air pollution is not only deteriorating air quality but also causing water pollution. He says he visited the Pir Panjal range three years ago and saw a thick layer of black carbon on glacial ice. He says this black carbon-rich glacier water is used for drinking by a large population. This poses a major threat to people’s health and should be studied.