‘Anchar lake is literally dying; Aachhan landfill as an emerging public health crisis’
Srinagar: The Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC) J&K has urged the government to tone up the administrative apparatus making it more responsible and responsive.
In a general body meeting, presided over by Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, retired IAS (former advisor to governor JK), the Group raised a number of issues of public importance requiring priority attention. These included strengthening rural healthcare to reduce avoidable referrals to tertiary hospitals in Srinagar and Jammu, filling up vacancies of doctors/specialists, improving access to cancer care services, protection of fast receding river Jhelum and dying Anchar lake, besides other threatened water resources, road safety and traffic mgt.in Srinagar /Jammu cities, etc .
In a statement, the GCC said, “The carrying capacity of river Jehlum has only reduced over the years since 2014. The forgotten flood protection projects deserved to be picked again and pursued, with full force, to reach the project goals. Anchar lake is literally dying in absence of any fetters on encroachment. It is long left without any conservation care as if nobody’s responsibility and therefore free-for-all. The government would do well to entrust Anchar to the Lakes Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA).”
The GCC also expressed deep concern over recent turn of events which, it said, “Yet again bring forth the imperatives of restoring statehood to JK without further delay, in the larger national interest, consistent with orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and assurances of the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the Hon’ble Home Minister in and outside of the Parliament “.
The GCC raised alarm over the worsening ecological degradation and called for enactment of stringent environmental protection laws particularly tailored to JK’s fragile ecosystem, and described Achhan landfill as “an emerging public health crisis”.
Toxic gas emissions from the site are widely feared to have a nexus with rising incidence of cancer, respiratory diseases, infertility, allergic and other ailments.
The Group therefore proposed the government institute an expert study of emissions from Achhan and their impact on public health and hygiene, by the departments of social and preventive medicine in GMC Srinagar and SKIMS.
