Srinagar: Raising serious concerns over mounting ecological pressures in Jammu and Kashmir, the Legislative Assembly’s Committee on Environment on Wednesday called for urgent intervention to protect the Union Territory’s fragile ecosystems, warning that unchecked tourism expansion, wetland degradation, and illegal constructions could inflict irreversible damage on the region’s environmental heritage.
Chairing a high-level review meeting, Committee Chairman and MLA M.Y. Tarigami underscored that while tourism remains a key pillar of Jammu and Kashmir’s economy, development must not outpace environmental safeguards.
“Tourism cannot be allowed to flourish at the cost of our ecology. Scientific planning, effective waste and sewage management, protection of wetlands, and strict action against encroachments must guide every tourism initiative in Jammu and Kashmir,” Tarigami said.
The Committee undertook a comprehensive review of the Tourism Department, Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC), and Tourism Development Authorities, focusing on environmental compliance across major tourist destinations. Deliberations centered on the status of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), including proposed mini-STPs, water quality monitoring, solid waste management, pollution control mechanisms, carrying capacity assessments, and implementation of tourism master plans.
Particular concern was expressed over the environmental situation surrounding the Tawi Golf Club in Jammu, the alarming degradation of wetlands, and the proliferation of illegal constructions and encroachments in ecologically sensitive tourist areas. The Committee directed the concerned departments to furnish detailed reports and implement corrective measures within a stipulated timeframe.
In a significant development, environmental concerns from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi constituency also came under the scanner after MLA Baldev Raj Sharma submitted a representation highlighting multiple issues in and around Katra. These include ecological concerns in Village Tun under Panchayat Arli Hansali, the functioning of the Shalimar Park Water Filtration Plant, water tanker filling stations at Chamba and Jhajjar, the proposed Inter Modal Station (IMS), and illegal dumping of waste along the Katra-Reasi Road.
Taking serious note of the matter, the Committee instructed the Tourism Department and JKPCC to conduct a detailed assessment and submit a comprehensive report outlining remedial measures.
The meeting assumes added significance as Jammu and Kashmir continues to witness unprecedented tourist arrivals, intensifying concerns over the carrying capacity of popular destinations and the long-term sustainability of tourism-driven development. Environmentalists have repeatedly cautioned that inadequate infrastructure, poor waste disposal practices, and unregulated construction are placing immense pressure on the region’s mountains, forests, and water bodies.
With the government in the process of framing an Eco-Tourism Policy, the Assembly panel’s observations are expected to shape future tourism and environmental policies in the Union Territory. The Committee’s strong message—that ecology must take precedence over expansion—signals a growing legislative push for sustainable development in one of India’s most environmentally sensitive regions.
The meeting was attended by MLAs Prof. Gharu Ram, Showkat Hussain Ganie, Dr. Sajjad Shafi, and Javaid Riyaz (Bedar), besides senior officials of the Tourism Department, JKPCC, Tourism Development Authorities, and the J&K Legislative Assembly Secretariat.
