‘Cutting trees, road-building, unregulated construction and tourism disturb nature’s balance, turning rain into ruin’
Srinagar: Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Sunday expressed grief over the loss of lives in the recent cloudburst tragedies in Jammu and Kashmir, calling them a “wake-up call” for policymakers.
“The Kishtwar cloudburst has taken 65 lives, left over 100 injured and many still missing — a heartbreaking tragedy and a test from the Almighty. Today’s Kathua cloudburst too claimed innocent lives. Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, prayers for the injured,” Mirwaiz wrote on X.
He said the fragile Himalayan ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir is under increasing stress. “Cutting trees, road-building, unregulated construction and tourism disturb nature’s balance, turning rain into ruin. It’s a wake-up call. Policymakers must act with foresight — we must protect nature to protect life,” he added.
The statement comes after back-to-back disasters struck the Union Territory this week — the August 14 Kishtwar cloudburst, which killed at least 65 people, and the August 17-18 Kathua cloudburst that claimed four lives.
