CATASTROPHIC IMPACTS
Nestled in the lap of the Himalayas, Kashmir often referred to as “Paradise on Earth,” has long captivated travellers with its breathtaking landscapes, serene lakes, and vibrant cultural heritage. Iconic destinations like Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, and Sonamarg draw millions of tourists annually, contributing significantly to the region’s economy and integrity. However, the surge in tourism, coupled with inadequate waste management infrastructure, has cast a dark shadow over this pristine region. Once-pristine tourist spots are increasingly turning into dumping sites, threatening the ecological balance and aesthetic charm of Kashmir.
Kashmir’s tourism industry has witnessed unprecedented growth in recent years. New avenues for tourism, including border areas like Gurez, Keran, and Teetwal. While this influx has boosted the local economy, it has also strained the region’s fragile ecosystem. The lack of regulated tourist footfall and inadequate waste disposal mechanisms have led to widespread littering, with plastic waste, food wrappers, and other debris becoming a common sight at popular destinations.
Wetlands like Wullar and Hokersar designated as Ramsar sites of international importance, are also under threat. Wullar Lake, in particular, is “dying a silent death”. Dal Lake, the jewel of Srinagar and a symbol of Kashmiri identity, has become a stark example of mismanagement. What once was a pristine water body is now struggling with eutrophication, floating garbage, and untreated sewage. Despite various government clean-up projects, the unchecked dumping of waste by tourists, houseboats, and nearby residents continues to deteriorate the lake’s condition.
The Makhdoom Sahib Shrine, perched on the southern slope of Hari Parbat in Srinagar, is a revered site dedicated to the 16th-century Sufi saint Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom, also known as Sultan-ul-Arifeen or Mehboob-ul-Alam. Once a beacon of spiritual and architectural grandeur, this double-storied Mughal-style shrine, with its intricate wood carvings, papier-mâché work, and vibrant glass panels, has long drawn devotees and tourists alike. Its elevated location offers breathtaking views of Srinagar, Dal Lakeadding to its allure.
Many visitors, including devotees and tourists, leave behind plastic bags, food wrappers, water bottles, and other waste, especially during large gatherings. Garbage accumulation around the shrine, with some blaming a lack of visitor discipline, litter not only mars the shrine’s aesthetic but also disrespects its spiritual significance. While visitors contribute to the garbage problem, systemic issues like the collapsed historical wall at Bachi Darwaza, uncleared for over three years, add to the shrine’s disarray. Debris from such structural damage mixes with visitor-generated waste, creating a vicious cycle of neglect.
The lack of proactive maintenance by authorities shifts some blame from visitors to administrative lapses. Many pilgrimage routes pass through protected forests and meadows, which are home to rare and endemic species. While faith-based travel is deeply rooted in tradition, religious tourism without ecological mindfulness undermines the sanctity of these places. Littered pathways and polluted areas contradict the spiritual ideals of purity, reverence for nature, and respect for the divine.
Sonamarg, once a tapestry of emerald meadows and whispering pines cradled by the Himalayas, now bears the scars of an alarming environmental elegy. Where cool breezes once danced through alpine summers, the air now stirs with dry, dust-laden sighs, warmed by a relentless climate. The once-lush meadows, vibrant with wildflowers, have faded into patchy, parched remnants, their verdant glory dimmed. Ancient trees, sentinels of time, fall to the axe’s rhythm, sacrificed for sprawling roads and tourist havens that encroach upon the valley’s soul.
The Sindh River, once a crystalline vein threading through the landscape, now weeps with visible taints, its banks sullied by careless contamination. As throngs of visitors weave through this fading paradise, their footprints leave behind a growing tide of unregulated waste, a stark dissonance against the land’s fragile serenade. Sonamarg’s beauty lingers, yet its heart pleads for reverence and renewal.
Border tourism in Kashmir, particularly in areas like Gurez Valley, Keran, Machil, and Tithwal near the Line of Control (LoC), has surged in recent years, driven by the region’s stunning landscapes and strategic allure. The rapid growth of border tourism, fuelled by government promotion of lesser-known destinations has led to a significant increase in solid waste. Inadequate waste management infrastructure in these remote areas results in litter being dumped into rivers, forests, or open spaces.
The absence of sewage and waste treatment facilities exacerbates pollution. The generated substantial waste, much of which is left untreated due to limited infrastructure, polluting the natural resources and surrounding habitats. The Kishanganga (Neelum) River, flowing through border areas faces pollution from tourist activities. Litter, including plastics and organic waste, is often discarded along riverbanks, degrading water quality and threatening endemic fish species. Trees are being felled for construction that has contributed to the loss of green spaces, with sprawling meadows turning dry and patchy.
The serpentine roads to Bungus Valley weave a spellbinding journey where travellers often lose themselves in the artistry of nature’s canvas. Verdant hills cloaked in pine and deodar, alpine meadows kissed by wildflowers create an intoxicating topography that overshadows the destination itself. The air, once fragrant with the crisp scent of coniferous forests and earthy streams, now carries a jarring undertone—a stench of neglect that taints this nascent paradise.
As Bungus, a pristine gem in Kupwara district, emerges as an offbeat tourism hotspot, it grapples with a growing menace: garbage disposal mismanagement, turning its scenic allure into a repository for waste. The absence of adequate toilet facilities in Kashmir’s border tourism areas, including Bungus Valley has created a significant environmental and social menace, compounding the pollution issues being highlighted.
This lack of sanitation infrastructure, particularly along the scenic routes and in emerging destinations not only disrupts the aesthetic and ecological harmony but also undermines the dignity of the travel experience. The absence of toilets poses health risks for tourists, locals, and nomadic communities like the Gujjars in Bungus. The foul odours from open defecation, combined with the garbage problem clash with the sensory allure of its “efficacious topography.”
Women travellers, in particular, face discomfort and safety issues due to the lack of private, clean facilities, deterring some from visiting these areas. In the tender embrace of Kashmir, where one feels the adequacy of serendipity, owes self-compassion and a taste of spirituality, the soul of this land pleads for our stewardship. Though the arms of administration may not reach every shadowed glen or alpine meadow, we, the souls of this soil, are woven into its very essence. It is upon us to unite, hearts entwined with purpose, to preserve this heaven on earth, lest its radiance fade under the weight of neglect.
Let us awaken the people of these sacred spaces—villages nestled by Dal’s shimmering shores, hamlets cradled in Sonamarg’s verdant folds, and borderlands where the Kishanganga hums its ancient lullaby—to the silent curse of the refuse that scars their home. With gentle voices and fervent resolve, we must illuminate the ill omens of littered trails and choking waters: the plastic that strangles rivers, the waste that suffocates meadows, and the debris that dims the sanctity of shrines like Makhdoom Sahib. Education, tender as a breeze through pine, can stir hearts to cherish their land, teaching them to tread lightly and leave no trace but reverence.
Yet, as we mirror policies from distant lands, why do we hesitate to weave the silken threads of ecotourism into our tapestry? Ecotourism, a hymn to harmony, beckons us to nurture Kashmir’s fragile beauty while sustaining its people. It whispers of regulated footfalls, waste woven back into cycles of renewal, and sanctuaries where pilgrims and wanderers alike honor the earth. From the glacier-fed streams of Amarnath to the wildflower-kissed paths of Bungus, let us craft a pilgrimage of mindfulness, where every step is a vow to protect.
Together, as guardians of this paradise, let us blend tradition with vision, sowing seeds of awareness and reaping fields of sustainability. For in our collective care lies the promise of a Kashmir eternal—its lakes clear as dreams, its mountains proud, and its spirit forever unbound.
(Author is a Post Graduate from the University of Kashmir. She can be reached at: [email protected])
