From Haze to Hope |
Air pollution is emerging as a significant environmental and public health challenge in the valley of Kashmir, and the smog is getting worse with each passing day. It is dirtying the air we breathe, dulling the view of the hills, and leaving many of us with scratchy throats, stinging eyes, and a constant worry about what all those pollutants are doing to our health in the long run.
Kashmir nestles in the Himalayas, and the valley is enclosed by mountain ranges causing temperature inversion, which is a process where cold air gets trapped under warm air. This in turn leads to low humidity and cold temperatures, drastically reducing pollutant dispersion, especially in winter.
We are also experiencing increasing levels of particulate matter (PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀), nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide due to rapid urbanization, rising vehicle population, land-use patterns, winter heating practices, and unregulated construction activities, apart from emissions from industries, as is the case with brick kilns in Budgam, Pulwama, and other parts of the valley where the AQI is reported to be in the severe category. Road dust and cement dust are also contributing to this menace.
Emissions
As reported in the Economic Survey 2024–2025 of the J&K Government, public and private transport have increased manifold over the years. As against 14.88 lakh vehicles (both public and private) registered in 2017, the number of vehicles has increased to 27.29 lakh by the end of December 2024. This is an enormous increase, and the emission load is understandable. Fuel use is enormous, leading to an increase in PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅. These days, we see many cars with registration numbers of other states on the roads. This leads to huge emissions without control, as condemned vehicles are finding their way into the Kashmir market due to cheap prices.
This Economic Survey report has no mention of vehicle specifications, make, fuel type, or any data on condemned vehicles. The data lacks important parameters, and it appears that the administrative machinery of the UT of J&K has no........