Protect Kashmir’s environment before it’s too late:Dr Karan Singh

Srinagar, Jun 30: Veteran Congress leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Sadr-e-Riyasat Dr Karan Singh on Tuesday voiced concern over the alarming degradation of Kashmir’s environment, saying Dal Lake has shrunk to nearly one-third of its original size and urging citizens and the government to jointly safeguard the Valley’s fragile ecology.
In an interview, Singh recalled attending the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden, and said he had remained actively associated with environmental conservation since then, including through the Indian Board for Wildlife.
Speaking about the programme organised by the Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC), Singh said he was asked what had changed over the decades.
“The biggest difference is that when I was a child, Dal Lake was much larger. Today, it has been reduced to nearly one-third of its original size, with almost two-thirds having disappeared,” he said.
Singh said wetlands such as Haigam, Hokersar and Anchar, where his father once went for shooting, had virtually disappeared, while Wular Lake was also facing ecological decline due to inadequate water inflows.
He stressed that protecting the environment was a shared responsibility and not the government’s alone.
“My appeal is that we must protect whatever remains of our environment. If we fail to preserve what is left, we will lose that as well,” Singh said.
He attributed recurring floods in Srinagar to unplanned construction over natural water channels, saying watercourses had been blocked by buildings, leading to severe consequences during floods.
Referring to Srinagar’s Smart City status, Singh said the city should reflect better environmental planning, cleanliness and sustainable urban development.
He said while the government had an important role to play, every citizen must also take responsibility for keeping their surroundings clean and preserving the environment for future generations. (KNS)