Nepal Floods: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq looks at it warning for Kashmir

Says this tragedy a wake-up call for Kashmir, warns of climate change fallout

STC NEWS DESK
SRINAGAR, AUGUST 29 (STC): Mirwaiz Umar Farooq today voiced grave concern over the devastating floods in Nepal that have claimed at least 675 lives. He termed the tragedy a “wake-up call” for the entire Himalayan region, warning that unbridled construction and ecological degradation in the Valley could trigger a similar disaster.
Speaking to reporters Mirwaiz offered condolences to the families of the Nepal victims and prayed for the missing, even as he drew a parallel between the geography of the two Himalayan territories.
“Many lives have been lost and many people are still missing. This is a huge tragedy and we all express our condolences to their families. But at the same time, this is also a warning for us that we are also living in the same Himalayan region,” he said.
The cleric pointed to the visible impact of climate change in Kashmir over the past two years, asserting that global warming was altering weather patterns and endangering the Valley’s famed natural beauty.
“Allah has given Kashmir a lot of beauty—our waterfalls, our valleys, our forests, our mountains. The protection of all this becomes the first responsibility of all of us,” he said, adding that “human intervention” in the environment is largely to blame for the changing climate.
Citing frequent cloudbursts, flash floods and mudslides in districts like Kishtwar, Doda, Rajouri, Poonch and Anantnag, the Mirwaiz said the region is already witnessing the fallout of ecological neglect.
“You have seen that many times there is flooding, there is fruit loss. Mudslides are coming, mountains are falling, clouds are bursting. Somewhere or the other, the human intervention that is taking place in environment and ecology—we are responsible for it,” he asserted.
In a strong critique of rampant construction activity, the Mirwaiz said the Jhelum river is “shrinking day by day” and questioned the mushrooming of houses in flood channels without proper permissions.
“Now where are they getting permission from? How are they building it? This is also a very big question,” he said, adding that even tourist hotspots like Pahalgam are witnessing massive constructions in mountainous areas and along riverbanks.
“We all want development. Facilities should be created for tourists in a structured way. But until it is balanced with ecology and environment, I think we cannot afford the situation that will arise here in the future,” he warned.
Recalling the devastating 2014 floods that wreaked havoc across the Valley, the Mirwaiz said Kashmir’s geography is “not much different from Nepal” and called for an organised, expert-driven policy framework to avert a similar catastrophe.
“I think that as long as our experts who are making policies—especially the government—it is their responsibility to take an organised approach in this regard. We don’t want, God forbid, such a situation to happen that due to climate change and global warming, we are in some other trouble,” he said.
The cleric also appealed to the public to refrain from encroaching upon wetlands, lakes and flood channels, which serve as natural buffers against floods, and urged authorities to strictly enforce environmental norms.
“Protecting our environment today is not merely about conservation. It is about protecting lives, homes and the future of our children,” the Mirwaiz added.
(Straight Talk Communications I Inputs from KNS)