Citizens equally responsible to protect environment: CM Omar Abdullah

STC NEWS DESK
SRINAGAR, OCTOBER 12 (STC): Environmental protection cannot be the government’s responsibility alone. It simultaneously calls for collective public participation, said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah here today.
The Chief Minister was speaking at the J&K Agriculture Science Congress 2026 at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K). The Chief Minister said that while the government has the primary responsibility for environmental protection, real change will come only through active public participation, and that sustainability and conservation can be achieved only when official action is matched by responsible citizen behaviour.
Cautioning against any abrupt curbs on tourism that sustains thousands of families in the region, CM Omar Abdullah said the Union Territory was already facing the consequences of climate change, marked by erratic snowfall, water scarcity, landslides and floods.
He said snowfall has become increasingly irregular, with insufficient winter precipitation hitting water availability in the following months. People face shortages in March, April and May, he said, only to see heavy rain and rising river levels later, triggering flood and landslide risks.
Omar said climate change cannot be fought by any single region or country in isolation and demands coordinated global action, while local communities must own the responsibility of protecting their surroundings and natural resources.
On tourism, CM Omar said its environmental footprint must be addressed without disregarding the livelihoods of those dependent on the sector. He warned against suddenly restricting tourist arrivals, noting that tourism is the mainstay of many local families and businesses, and said any regulation of visitor numbers would have to be gradual and balanced.
While conceding that tourism exerts pressure on the environment, he said tourists and vehicles alone cannot be blamed for pollution, plastic waste and water scarcity. He asked whether areas with negligible tourist activity were free of garbage and plastic pollution, and urged residents to look inward at their own practices.
He came down heavily on the habit of throwing waste from vehicles and public transport, saying citizens must stop littering and take greater ownership of keeping their surroundings clean. He also urged people to cut down on single-use plastic bags by carrying reusable bags while shopping.
Underlining the need for resource conservation, he asked people to avoid wasting water and to switch off lights, fans and heaters when not in use.

(Straight Talk Communications)