OPINION & EDITORIAL • WEEKLY EDITION
EDITORIAL BOARD STATEMENT
DEVELOPMENT MUST NOT BE A SUICIDE PACT
The recurring cloudburst-triggered flash floods across Pahalgam, Sonamarg, and regional river basins are harsh reminders that economic ambition separated from ecological reality is self-destructive. It is high time for a strict, non-negotiable moratorium on heavy concrete development in designated eco-sensitive flood channels.
GUEST OPINION COLUMNIST
SHEIKH FARHAT
Writer, Social Reformer, and Conflict Analyst
WHEN NATURE SPEAKS: WHY KASHMIR SHOULD RETHINK ITS TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
The cloudbursts in Pahalgam and elsewhere in Kashmir show us once again that nature has the last laugh. As extreme weather increasingly becomes common due to climate change, it is the extent of damage that we have caused that depends on us and how we treat our environment. As forests vanish, channels get blocked and rivers are narrowed, even a moderate spell can wreak havoc.
Tourism is one of the major industries in Kashmir. This supports thousands of families, including hotel owners, taxi drivers, pony handlers, artisans, guides and shopkeepers. A booming tourism sector is vital for the Valley’s prosperity. However, tourism should not happen at the expense of the very landscapes that attract these visitors. Environmental conservation and development should go together.
The most popular attraction in Kashmir has never been towering buildings or commercial complexes. Individuals visit from all corners of the globe to admire its lofty mountains, thick forests, clear streams, alpine meadows, and placid lakes. The valley’s real wealth lies in its natural riches. Tourism will eventually suffer if they are damaged.
Regrettably, development has outpaced environmental planning in many areas. Illegal and unplanned construction has seen a rise along riverbanks, nallahs and floodplains. Water flows that used to carry waste and rainwater have been narrowed, encroached upon or obstructed. When it heavily rains or when there are cloudbursts, the water takes its original course. If that path has been blocked by edifices, roads, or any such structure, it takes an alternative which is mostly destructive in nature. This leads to flooding, erosion, etc. which causes a lot of damage.
The problem has become even more serious due to deforestation. The forest is not just a bunch of trees but a natural barrier for floods and landslides. The soil gets retained, rainwater gets absorbed and the speed of runoff is reduced. Clearing forests destabilizes hillsides, leading to increased soil erosion and raising the vulnerability of communities downriver to severe impacts.
“Don’t stop tourism; promote sustainable tourism as the way forward. Prioritize environmental assessment when developing infrastructure for a better future.”
Soil erosion is a silent catastrophe, more serious than most of us think. In every rainy season, the nation is losing valuable topsoil which weakens agricultural land, silts up river and streams, and reduces the carrying capacity of rivers and streams to carry water. Eventually, it increases chances of flooding even with less-serious storms and other weather events.
Repeated warnings have already been issued that the frequency of such extreme events is increasing in mountain regions. While you can’t prevent such events from taking place, you can contain the damage. Strong environmental planning, science-based land-use policies and respect for natural ecosystems is among the best measures of disaster preparedness.
Visitors are responsible, too. Responsible tourism means protecting nature, not littering, reducing plastic use and understanding that no place is unlimited. It is imperative for local communities to get involved in conservation since protecting nature leads to protecting livelihoods.
The recent cloudbursts are not just another natural incident. They are reminders that the relationship between people and Nature should be based on respect and not exploitation. The mountains, forests, rivers, and meadows of Kashmir have supported generation. They deserve thoughtful management, not unchecked growth.
Unless we ignore environmental warnings, disasters will become more frequent and more devastating. Kashmir could become a world-class tourist destination as well as a paradise, with scientific planning and conservation approach towards sustainable development.
We have an obvious choice. We can either build alongside nature or choose to construct facilities that oppose it. Throughout history, one lesson is evident: Nature doesn’t spare those who disrupt its equilibrium.
