Says experts should determine whether environmentally harmful practices intensified the calamity; calls for immediate and long-term corrective measures
JK News Today
Srinagar, July 22: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Wednesday urged the government to conduct a comprehensive assessment to determine whether human activities have contributed to aggravating the impact of the recent and ongoing natural disasters across various parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement issued here, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said it was imperative to ascertain whether environmentally harmful practices had intensified the scale of devastation witnessed during the calamity.
“We must honestly examine whether any human activities made this disaster more devastating. Experts should be brought in to assess the extent to which human actions may have contributed to increasing the scale of destruction,” he said.
Apni Party leader stressed the need to investigate whether factors such as “the encroachment of water bodies, construction on fragile mountain slopes, large-scale deforestation, excessive extraction of sand, gravel and stones from riverbeds and hills, and other environmentally damaging practices had played a role in worsening the disaster.”
“If these factors are found to have contributed, the government has a clear responsibility to act without delay. It must take both immediate and long-term corrective measures to reduce future risks and protect lives,” he said.
He further said that “wherever environmental degradation could be reversed, every possible effort should be made to restore and revive the affected ecosystems.” In areas where the damage is irreversible, “all necessary steps must be taken to prevent any further harm to the region’s ecology and environment,” he added.
Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari strongly appealed to the authorities and the public not to forget the lessons of the recent calamities once normalcy returns.
He said, “As the weather improves and life gradually returns to normal, we must not allow these tragedies and the widespread devastation to fade from our memory. Instead, they should serve as a powerful reminder to identify and correct the human mistakes that may have made this disaster even more destructive.”
Meanwhile, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari urged the government to ensure each and every affected individual and family is provided with timely assistance and support in this difficult times.
He said, “Government’s priority must be to provide immediate relief, adequate compensation, and complete rehabilitation to every individual and family affected by the natural calamity.”
“This should be undertaken as a dedicated campaign in the affected areas so that no victim is left behind and that every deserving family receives timely assistance and support,” Mr Bukhari added.
