after fighting militancy for a decade, Kashmir -- India's tourist paradise -- is now facing environmental problems. A study conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Board (pcb) shows high levels of air and vehicular pollution in the state. Water of the river Jhelum that runs through the Kashmir valley was found to be unfit for human consumption.
The pcb has been monitoring the status of water bodies such as the Jhelum, Dal Lake and Nagin Lake since the establishment of a laboratory in Srinagar in October last year. Unplanned growth of state and mushrooming industry is contributing to pollution. To counter this problem, the state government plans to bring a legislation in the next Assembly session to give more powers to the pcb to firmly deal with the polluting units.
Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, environment and forest minister of the state, says that the Central Water Act, which provides for more powers to the pcbs, would also be adopted. The studies conducted by the pcb indicate that vehicular pollution has increased by nearly 6.8 per cent in Srinagar, in the last three months.
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