Srinagar: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday asked party MPs to vehemently raise the critical issue of protection of water bodies and lakes in Jammu and Kashmir in Parliament.
Emphasising the growing environmental challenges the region was facing, Abdullah stressed that lakes, rivers, wetlands and other water resources are the lifeline of the economy, ecology and cultural heritage. Their continued degradation poses a serious threat to livelihoods and to future generations, a National Conference spokesperson said in a statement.
The former chief minister said unchecked urbanisation, pollution, encroachments and climate change impact have severely affected major lakes and water bodies.
He called upon party MPs to seek urgent policy interventions, adequate budgetary support, and a comprehensive framework to revive and sustainably manage these vital ecosystems.
Abdullah underscored that safeguarding water bodies is essential not only for drinking water and irrigation but also for tourism, biodiversity and climate resilience.
He said that any conservation initiative must ensure that the common public — especially those who are dependent on water bodies for livelihood, such as farmers, fishermen, artisans and tourism sector workers — should not be adversely affected.
He also defended the house arrest of its party MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi and other leaders, saying they want to create “turmoil”, which will not be allowed.
Talking to reporters at Pahalgam in south Kashmir, Abdullah said the leaders were probably not happy that Jammu and Kashmir was on the path of progress.
“You should ask those leaders what they wanted to do. We are doing as much as we can. Perhaps, they do not like that the state is progressing. They want turmoil, which we will not allow to happen,” Abdullah said.
Authorities on Sunday placed several leaders including Mehdi, PDP MLA Waheed Para, former Srinagar mayor Junaid Mattoo and PDP leader Iltija Mufti under house arrest to prevent them from taking part in protests against the existing reservation policy.
On the situation in Bangladesh, the former chief minister expressed hope peaceful elections are held in the neighbouring country so that a new government is formed.
“We hope they (the new government) will tread the path of friendship (with India),” he added.
The leaders were put under house arrest after they expressed solidarity with students who planned to sit on a peaceful protest at Gupkar Road on Sunday and had announced their intention to join the agitation against the delay in rationalising the quota policy, a year after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah formed a committee to address the issue.
Para said it was unfortunate that the leaders had been placed under house arrest to prevent them from showing solidarity with the protesting students.
In a post on X, National Conference MP Ruhullah Mehdi posted on X on Saturday night that armed police have been deployed outside his residence. “Is this a pre-emptive crackdown to silence a peaceful, pro-student demonstration?” he posted.
