Kashmir Needs Eco-Design

Kashmir's celebrated beauty is disappearing fast. Lush meadows, turquoise lakes, and historic landmarks are giving way to haphazard construction and concrete walls. Roads carve through valleys, tourist spots are boxed in by bulky gates, and once-scenic views are lost to unsightly development.

These changes harm ecosystems and affect the well-being of residents and visitors alike. Eco-engineering offers a way to reconcile growth with nature, guiding development that protects the environment while enhancing human experience.

The problem starts in classrooms. Engineering students acquire technical knowledge but rarely absorb the responsibility that should accompany it.

Sustainability is often confined to a single optional semester, covering familiar topics like deforestation, noise pollution, and soil degradation. Such superficial treatment leaves future engineers ill-equipped to weigh environmental consequences in real projects. Sustainability must be integrated across all subjects, teaching students to balance design, function, and ecological impact from the start.

Making environmental code books as central as design manuals would turn theoretical knowledge into everyday practice. Students exposed to these standards early would naturally factor ecological costs into their decisions.

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