Every year on June 5, the world comes together to mark World Environment Day, a solemn reminder that our planet our only home is in peril. While nations hold seminars and plant trees in symbolic gestures, in the fragile Himalayan belt of Kashmir, the day resonates with deeper urgency. Kashmir, once known as the “Paradise on Earth”, is now at the frontline of a climate catastrophe. Its forests are receding, glaciers are melting, rivers are choking with plastic waste and the clean air that once drew poets to its valleys is now tainted with pollutants. The signs of global warming, carbon emissions and ecological imbalance are no longer predictions of the future they are the disturbing reality of the present. As the world discusses carbon neutrality and sustainable development, Kashmir stands as a tragic case study in how human greed, policy negligence and reckless pollution have led us to the brink. The Himalayan region, including Kashmir is warming at nearly double the global average. A 2023 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change placed Kashmir among the climate change hotspots in South Asia.
The glaciers of Kashmir, which feed the rivers Jhelum, Lidder, Sindh and Kishanganga are shrinking at an alarming rate. Studies from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology confirm that major glaciers like Kolhai Glacier in Anantnag and Thajiwas Glacier in Sonamarg have retreated by more than 23% in the past four decades. The impact? Flash floods, irregular rainfall, prolonged droughts and hotter summers. Crops fail, orchards bloom early and die prematurely and snow-dependent ecosystems fall apart. And yet, the tragedy goes mostly unspoken. One might argue: Kashmir is not industrialized like Delhi or Mumbai. So where does the carbon footprint come from? The answer lies in a mix of unchecked vehicular expansion, diesel generators, brick kilns, forest fires and most dangerously, tourism-related pollution. Over 2 crore tourists visited Kashmir in 2024 alone. While tourism boosts the economy, it also leaves behind a heavy ecological bill – more plastic waste, more vehicular emissions and more strain on natural resources. In Gulmarg and Pahalgam, once pristine meadows are now littered with discarded bottles, food wrappers and the toxic fumes of unregulated diesel vehicles.
Though the government have somehow controlled the excessive use of firewood in rural households, but with the onset of winters the need for coal emerges and a section of society leaves towards jungles, burn the firewood and make coals from it which is then later sold out to the consumers at suitable rates which adds to black carbon emissions. Black carbon settles on glaciers, darkening their surface, absorbing more heat and accelerating melting a perfect example of a feedback cycle. To grasp the depth of devastation, one must understand climate feedback cycles natural processes that amplify the effects of climate change. As glaciers melt, they cause flash floods. These floods erode soil and damage tree cover. Fewer trees mean less absorption of CO₂ and less shade, which increases ground temperature, causing further glacier melt. It’s a self-feeding monster. In recent years, wildfires in forests of Pir Panjal and Dachigam have become frequent. These fires release vast amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, which raises temperatures, making conditions ripe for more fires. The cycle repeats. Unmanaged waste from hotels and pilgrimage spots like Amarnath Yatra routes ends up in landfills. In summer, these often catch fire, releasing methane and dioxins potent greenhouse gases and carcinogens. The result? Polluted air, disease outbreaks and yet another feedback loop.
Once unknown in the Valley, plastic has become omnipresent from disposable cups in tea stalls to shopping bags in village bazaars. Every year, an estimated 1500 tons of plastic waste is generated in Kashmir. Of this, less than 30% is properly recycled or treated. The rest? It chokes drains, pollutes rivers and destroys farmland. In Srinagar’s Doodh Ganga and other small and big tributaries of River Jhelum, heaps of plastic float alongside water plants and weeds. In once-pristine lakes like Wular and Dal, microplastics have been found inside fish a dire warning of how deep pollution has penetrated. Worse, the open burning of plastic releases toxic dioxins, contributing not only to air pollution but also to climate change. It’s a quiet massacre killing slowly, invisibly. Post-2019, Kashmir has seen a spike in construction shopping complexes, roads and real estate projects. While development is essential, the lack of environmental impact assessments in many of these projects has led to rampant deforestation, especially in areas like Zabarwan Hills, Shopian forests and Dachigam buffer zones. As trees fall and green belts vanish, carbon sequestration capacity drops, leading to higher carbon retention in the atmosphere. Moreover, construction dust adds particulate matter to the air triggering respiratory issues and contributing to global warming.
Kashmir was once home to over 400 wetlands. Today, fewer than 120 remain in decent condition. Encroachment, plastic dumping and untreated sewage have rendered many of these wetlands non-functional. Wetlands like Hokersar, Haigam and Mirgund once major wintering grounds for migratory birds and carbon sinks are now degraded ecosystems. Without wetlands, carbon capture declines, water levels become erratic and biodiversity collapses.
Kashmir is witnessing a sharp rise in diseases linked to climate change: Respiratory diseases due to increased air pollution and allergens. Waterborne diseases from contaminated rivers and stagnant wetlands. Heat strokes during intense summer waves, especially in low-altitude areas. Mental health issues as weather-induced disasters destroy homes, agriculture and peace of mind. Doctors at SKIMS and SMHS hospitals confirm a 30% increase in pulmonary cases over the past decade many linked to environmental degradation.
Despite environmental laws and the presence of agencies like the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee, enforcement remains weak. Plastic bans are rarely implemented. Construction in eco-sensitive zones continues. Lack of eco-tourism guidelines allows mass destruction. Local municipalities often dump waste into water bodies for convenience. Even public awareness is low. On World Environment Day, speeches are made but the ground-level action is missing.
Yet, all is not lost. In the sea of apathy, there are islands of hope: Dr Tauseef Bhat from Srinagar Environmental Trust is working on creating awareness on environment degradation. Lakes and Waterways Development Authority, a government-department is clearing waste from Dal Lake and other big small water bodies. Villages in Kupwara have started community composting instead of dumping garbage. Chinar Yuva in Baramulla has developed plastic recycling unit to recycle the plastic. These are the green warriors of Kashmir. Silent but committed. This year, Kashmir observed World Environment Day with sobering reflection. From Gulmarg to Gurez, schoolchildren marched with slogans, NGOs planted trees, and civil society groups organized cleanup drives. But this day should not be just a ritual. It must be a reboot of our environmental conscience.
The government must: Enforce plastic ban laws rigorously. Promote green transport and discourage diesel vehicles in eco-zones. Incentivize solar energy, especially in rural households. Prioritize wetland restoration with real funding and manpower. Make environmental education compulsory in schools. Above all, the people of Kashmir—administrators, students, farmers, hoteliers must own the responsibility. The Himalayas do not just belong to us; they are our guardians. Their cry must not go unheard.
Kashmir is a land where environment and identity are entwined. Our culture is born from rivers, our songs from mountains, our prayers from the breeze that whispers through chinars. To destroy this environment is to erase ourselves. World Environment Day must not be another event in the calendar. It must be a daily reminder that every plastic bottle thrown, every tree felled, every illegal construction built is a nail in the coffin of our children’s future. Let us not wait for another flood, another drought or another disease outbreak. Let the crisis of today awaken us to the urgency of tomorrow. Because the silence of the glaciers, the vanishing of the birds and the stifled breath of the valleys they are all crying. And they’re waiting for us to listen.