Religious leaders, civil society actors and environmentalists in Kashmir have voiced deep concern over the recent flood fury in Nepal and warned that a similar tragedy could occur in fragile ecological zones of Kashmir if warnings continue to be ignored by the concerned authorities.
Kashmir’s head priest, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on August 27 said in his mandatory Friday sermon at Srinagar’s historic central mosque that the tragedy in Nepal should serve as a stern warning for Kashmir.
He stressed on striking a balance between development and environmental protection.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that the devastation being currently witnessed in Nepal should “deeply concern all of us.”
“These are not isolated events. They are warnings of how vulnerable our mountain ecosystems have become as glaciers recede,” the head priest said.
He expressed condolence with the families of the victims in Nepal flood tragedy and prayed for the safety and recovery of those still reported missing.
Nearly 500 people have been reported dead in Nepal due to flash floods.
“We are already seeing more intense rainfall, frequent cloudbursts, flash floods, shooting stones and landslides in Kashmir. Climate change is undoubtedly a major factor, but we must also ask whether our own pattern of development is making the situation more dangerous,” the Mirwaiz asked.
Voicing concern over the present situation of Kashmir’s water bodies, the Mirwaiz quoted specific holy verses from Quran to stress on environment preservation.
“The tragedy in Nepal must be seen as a warning close to home. We too live in the fragile ecological zone,” the head priest concluded in his sermon.
Dr Sheikh Showkat Hussain, an expert in international law, echoed similar sentiments.
“[The] Nepal tragedy is warning for Kashmir as well. Excessive interference with nature in the name of tourism, yatras [pilgrimages], reckless development, dams is hazardous for the Himalayan ecosystem. We too have the same fragile ecosystem. Strict regulation & limited utilisation is the only way out,” he wrote on X.
