PROF (DR) R D GUPTA
Of late, Jammu and Kashmir has emerged in South Asia as such a region where natural vegetation and forest cover are depleting at an alarming rate. Environmentalists foster fears that the day is not far, when ‘there will be acid rains in the plains of Jammu and black snow in the vale of Kashmir.’ It is worth-while to mention that with the depletion of the forests, natural grasslands and other green covers, and explosion of population, the signs of acid rains have already been witnessed in Jammu region during 1992 & 1993. It is attributed to the deterioration of an environment. Jammu, akin to Hyderabad & Sikanderabad has too become a twin city which is separated by river Tawi. New settlements around Jammu City, which had been growing since Independence (1947) and lying on left bank of the river Tawi, like Gandhi Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Nai Basti, Trikuta Nagar, Sainik Colony etc., are designated by the term New City. The remaining part of the city which is located on the right bank of the Tawi, is known as old Jammu City. The Jammu City is also termed the City of Temples. Once old Jammu City was considered very beautiful, neat and clean city owing to the presence of natural slope but today, however, this beautiful temple city has become highly polluted. Heavy pollution both of air & water vis-a-vis vehicular & soil pollution, have affected the environment of the city badly. Indeed, the environment of Jammu City is fast deteriorating. Some of the facts which conform about this event are stated here as under:- i) Disposal of night soil or human excreta The days are gone when there was no open defecation along the banks of the drainage Nallahs or streets Nallies. But today all these Nallahs and Nallies carry down excreta from dry open bucket type latrines to river Tawi. The river Tawi one of the sacred rivers also known as Surya Putri (Sun’s daughter) is now used as big sewerage & drain. The effluents of whole of the city are drained into it. The solid municipal wastes are being dumped into it in dozens of truck loads every day. But to talk of its water for drinking purposes, it is even not suitable for irrigating the crops.
Hitherto, the night soil or human excreta of Jammu City’s houses used to be swept by the brethren Sweepers, which is still continued in some of houses of the city. After collecting night soil, it used to be dumped outside the city and sometimes used as manure for vegetable/crop production in its semi decomposed conditions. There were strict instructions from the then Health Officer Municipality Jammu to make the city neat & clean. The sweepers used to sweep the Bazars & streets twice a day i.e., in the morning & evening hours with great dedication & devotion. They sprinkled water frequently with animal’s leather bags in the streets Nallies (Small drains) & threw the lime along their peripheries to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes & flies.
ii) Vanishing of flora & Rakhs: Jammu City which was once very famous for its cool breeze locally known as ‘Tadu’. It usually used to blow in the morning hours from 4 A.M. onwards. This has now almost finished. It is due to cutting of trees and rampant biomass in the name of various developmental works like building of roads, railway tracks, hydroelectric projects, and rising of buildings for institutions, residential purposes etc. Trees like Peepal (Ficus religiosa), Banyan or borh (Ficus bengalensis), Mango (Mangifera idica), Jamun (Syzygium cumunii), are resulted in enhancing supply of Oxygen & less air pollution.
Jammu City was unique in Sylvian beauty till 1950. It was then surrounded by massive green belt comprising Rakhs of Ram Nagar, Ploura, Roulki Kheri, Keran, Bahu & Mohamaya which abounded in a variety of animals & birds. But the process of urbanisation over the last 75 years. has deprived of these gifts, which were provided by the Dogra rulers to the Jammuites in heritage. Most of these well wooded areas have now cleared of for human settlements. For example, Roulki Rakh was felled down to rehabilitate Pakistan occupied Kashmir refugees. Ploura, Janipur, Keran and adjoining private areas full of trees were brought under a number of colonies like Janipur, Roop Nagar, Pamposh etc. to accommodate surplus population. Bahu Rakh sprawling over a large area has been deforested relentlessly and encroached for establishing Railway Complex and a number of colonies like Sainik colony, Gorkha Nagar, Trikuta Nagar, Gandhi Nagar. The new settlement of Sidhra on the left bank of the river Tawi has grabbed lot of area of the deforested Bahu Rakh. This deforestation of Jammu City’s surroundings has raised the level of health hazards & lowered the quality of life. Now we are living languish in heavily polluted, congested & practically treeless city and vehicular Pollution
iii) Vehicular Pollution has assumed enormous dimensions recently in Jammu City, where the number of vehicles has witnessed a phenomenal increase. According to some environmentalists about 60 per cent of air pollution in Jammu City is attributed to vehicular emission. The main air pollutants in our day to day life present in vehicular emissions are exhaust gases. The exhaust gases contain products of incomplete combustion, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and un-burnt carbon. In addition to these constituents, oxides of nitrogen & sulphur dioxide are also present. All these exhaust gases play a major role in polluting the clean & fresh air. The ill effects caused by all these sources of pollution discussed above are meteorological, physiological and economical. Physiologically, our respiratory system is mostly affected by the silicosis which affects lungs due to deposition of minute dirty particles. This inhaled during breathing is also called particulate matter. Doctors have found that cancer is mostly caused due to smoke from the vehicles, industrial plants and tobacco. Apart from this the growth of body tissues is affected & they become less resistant to bacteria germs and diseases. The smoke & dust being hygroscopic in nature attract water. & condense vapour much below the sativation pressure even from dry atmosphere, to form fog and smog. Smog obstructs the visibility. Sometimes, the visibility becomes very poor, causing severe accidents.
iv) Noise Pollution: Any sound reaching the ears that serves no useful or good purpose is noise. These days, the people are becoming more & more aware of the nuisance factor of noise and physiological as well as psychological injury it produces in human beings. Noise can be measured by several complex systems but the most common unit for measuring the noise is decibel (dB). Our hearing would be okay if we are not exposed to noise intensity of 55 dB. It is remarkable to mention that these days at many places the heaps of dirt along with pieces of plastic are burnt in Jammu. This, practice is totally required to be stopped. It is because burning of plastic material produces ‘Dioxene gas’, along with other gases as stated above which has proved very dangerous to human beings as well as other animals.
(The author is ex-Associate Dean SKAUST-Jammu).
