‘For two hundred years we’ve been conquering Nature. Now we’re beating it to death’.Tom macmillan
Location:coordination:34.2149N -745.5008E
Historical Background:
According to folklore, the cave was discovered by a shepherd named Buta Malik, who was a Muslim, in 1850. He had been grazing his cattle in the mountain when a Sufi saint gave him a bag of coal, which turned out to be gold later. He went back to thank the saint but found the cave and the Shiva Linga. According to some reports the descendants of Malik had been the custodian of the shrine. Priests from Dashnami Akhada and Purohit Sabha Mattan had been taken care of the holy site. In yr 2000, the Amarnath Shrine Board was formed to look after the affairs of the shrine. It is now headed by the governor of the state.
Amarnath cave located in Jammu and Kashmir and situated at an altitude of 3,888 m (12,756 ft) about 141 km (88 mi) from Srinagar. One can reach this destination via pahalgam town. The shrine form core of hindusim in j&k . Pahalgam is associated with the annual Amarnath Yatra. Chandanwari, located 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) from Pahalgam which is the starting point of the yatra that takes place every year in the months of July–August. The longer Amarnath Yatra route via Pahalgam is generally preferred by most of the devotees. The length of the trek varies from 36 to 48 km depending upon the devotion of the pilgrim. The trek usually takes 3-5 days one way,and whole journey is concluded in 46 days The Amarnath route is much wider than the Baltal trek having too many slopes.
Kashmir’s ecology is paying for the conduct of the pilgrimage.
Due to the eco-sensitive and precarious nature of this area Environmental concerns are linked to: carrying capacity, sanitation and solid waste and other environmental concerns like seismicity of the area, impact on glaciers and high altitude flora and fauna. Sadly, every year at the end of Yatra, the picturesque Pahalgam and its peripheries present a dirty picture, with trash littered everywhere, particularly on the banks of Lidder which flows through Pahalgam. In fact, quintals of polythene are littered by pilgrims along the Amarnath Yatra track. Environmentalists have expressed concern that the number of people participating in the Amarnath Yatra is having a negative impact on the area’s ecology and some have expressed support for government regulated limits on the number of pilgrims permitted to make the trek.However no studies have been made nor has an environmental impact assessment done. As of date, the Government of India restricts travellers only on the basis on logistics, time window for the yatra and weather. There has been a perpetual demand for regulating the number of pilgrims to visit the cave each day. The number of days the Yatra lasts also has to be reduced to a more reasonable duration, something that the ecology can afford to absorb without any adverse effects.
ECOLOGICAL FALLOUTS
>Solid waste pollution: Every year, thousand metric tonnes of human excreta, three million litres of liquid waste and more than a hundred tonnes of plastic being is being added to the ecosystem. With no structured waste treatment options, this is discharged directly into the environment, polluting the glaciers, rivers and forests. The impact on plant, animal and aquatic life is something that no one has even bothered?
>.Water pollution:The main source of pollution is open toilets near water tributaries contributing to the lidder river water pollution.
>.Lack of Awarness: Unawareness among the pilgrims not to use river Lidder for urination and defecation is further polluting river water.
>.Polythene Pollution:While the court have already directed the government to stop entry of polythene carry bags into the Valley, the Yatra shows no sign of this being a priority of thgovernment. Besides, there are also heaps of polythene, a banned item, and bottles at several places on the trek.
>.Horses that die while trekking pilgrims to the cave are another source of pollution.and due to lack of proper & hygienic disposal systemcreates numbers of serious impact on the ecology.
>.Melting of prestine Glaciers: The increased influx of pilgrims during the Amarnath Yatra is aggravating this situation. The Thajiwas glacier in Sonamarg is receding fast, the authorities are allowing tourists to do sledging and horse riding on its surface. “Thajiwas had its tail at Sonamarg health resort, but now to reach the glacier people have to travel 3 to 4 km inside the forest. It can still be saved if the authorities act fast and impose a ban on tourists playing on the glacier,” said By renowned environmentalist Dr.M.R.DKundagar.
>Loss of Flora&Fauna: Deforestation Plants are the basis of life on this heavenly planet Earth and all living organisms, including human being cannot imagine surviving without them. Forests play a vital role in environmental maintenance and damage to the forest may degrade an entire ecosystem. Forests, on the one hand serve as source of oxygen, wood, food, abode of wildlife, at the same time absorbs pollutants including CO2. The rapid growth of tourism is one of the main reasons behind uncontrolled destructions of forests, because the growing demand of tourism has led to increasing need for building material viz. construction of hotels, restaurants, lodges
> Horses, taxis and buses are parked near the glacier to cater to tourists. “The glacier is now full of dirt, destroying its prestine beauty.
>Noise pollution: blaring loudspeakers are crushing the serene calm and the sound of brooks is nowhere to be heard.
How do we defend the ecology of an area?
where we have an abrupt influx of more than 6 lac visitors,with add on of 10000 people from support agencies and 40000 security personnel stationed for two months. Causing such encumbrance to an environment that is supposed to be devoid of habitation, the damage is unimaginable. to study, leave aside the three million litres of waste water that mixes with the rivers which happen to be the source of drinking water to hundreds of downstream villages. The Jammu & Kashmir Shri Amarnathji Shrine Act, 2000 which lists the functions of the Board is totally silent on the aspect of environment conservation.
Suggestive measures:
>Accountablity: If Shrine Board is the sole body for maintaining the Yatra, they need to be held accountable for the modalities to mitigate the environmental impact while upholding the sentiments of the religious fraternity.
>New Approach:could take a cue from the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, where the administration has regulated the footfall and ensured least destruction to the environment and bionomics. The Board would need to step up in this direction and enforce controls to preserve the heritage for our future generations.
>Decrease in annual influx of piligrms.
>Appropiate and innovativemeans for tackling the problem of littering,human excreta.
>Complete ban on the use of polythene and plastic which adversely harm the ecology.
>Introduction of battery powered vehicles in these Destinations,which further decreses the problem of animal waste.
>Awarness among people about ecotourisim &how they can minimize the impact of huge influx of piligrims on ecology without hurting their religious sentiments.
>Conducting a full fluged EIA&Simultaneously coming up with appropriate mitigating measures.
“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”….
-George Bernard Shaw
Shariqa Maryam Kubrav can be reached at shariqamaryam@gmail.com
