Tourism Activities Negatively Impacted Himalayan Brown Bear Habitat In Kashmir: JKPCC To NGT


(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) New Delhi- The National Green Tribunal has been informed that tourism activities and tunnelling projects in Kashmir's Sonamarg have negatively impacted the habitat of the Himalayan brown bear.

Earlier, while hearing the issue of the depleting habitat of the Himalayan brown bear because of the several reasons, including the unplanned disposal and treatment of waste in the Sonamarg region, the tribunal sought a response from the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC).

ADVERTISEMENT

The tribunal had noted that according to a study, 75 per cent of the diet of bears in the area comprised human-made garbage dumps including plastic and organic food waste.

ADVERTISEMENT

In its reply dated November 11, the JKPCC said it had directed the regional director of the pollution control committee in Kashmir to submit a comprehensive report.

Pursuant to its directions, the committee formed a panel to find the status of tourism and its impact on brown bear habitat, besides assessing the quantification and disposal of the food waste in the area, the reply said.

Read Also Himalayan Brown Bear Roams Kashmir Villages As Habitats Shrink

The panel's report, which was annexed to the reply, said Sonamarg was among the few Himalayan bear habitats in the country. It was a key tourist place, serving as a stopover for the pilgrims of the Amarnath Yatra, besides connecting the Union Territories (UTs) of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

“Tourism activities, such as the construction of hotels, guest houses, restaurants, markets, roads and various tunnelling projects, have led to habitat fragmentation and increased human intervention in an area that once entirely served as a habitat for various species of wild animals including the Himalayan Brown Bear,” the report said.

Quoting the report, the JKPCC's reply said between 7-10 metric tons (MT) per day of solid waste was generated in Sonamarg, which increased to up to 20 MT during the peak season.

Regarding waste management, the reply said,“Huge quantity of solid waste was found dumped around the solid waste management facility (established by the Sonamarg Development Authority) and piles of untreated solid waste were also found stacked inside the facility without proper disposal arrangements in place for the compost generated.”

It said action would be taken against the authority for violating environmental rules.

The reply also recommended fencing the facility, installing a weigh bridge for quantifying the waste, secondary segregation of the waste in the facility and prohibiting open dumping of waste around it.

Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group : Join Now

Be Part of Quality Journalism

Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast.

ACT NOW
MONTHLY Rs 100
YEARLY Rs 1000
LIFETIME Rs 10000

CLICK FOR DETAILS

MENAFN12112024000215011059ID1108876798


Kashmir Observer

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.