Deptts not coming forward to avail funds for checking adverse effects
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 30: Though all the three regions of Jammu and Kashmir are witnessing adverse effects of the climate change after regular intervals yet no attention is being paid towards implementation of State Climate Change Action Plan and rather this vision document is being treated as merely trash by those at the helm of affairs in almost all the key departments of the State.
Moreover, the only department, which initially showed interest in checking the adverse impact, is faltering on utilization of funds during the past two financial years thereby creating road-block in sanctioning of more funds by the Union Government through Ministry of Environment and Forests.
On June 30, 2008, Union Government released country’s first National Action Plan on Climate Change outlining the existing and future policies and programs to address climate related mitigation and adaptation measures. Accordingly, all the States were directed to come up with their own State Action Plan on Climate Change.
Though several States of the country paid serious attention towards the directives of the Union Government yet J&K Government maintained dilly-dallying approach for six years despite the fact that in Jammu and Kashmir, which nestles in fragile Himalayan ecosystem, there are continuous natural fluctuations in climate, human induced changes due to large scale urbanization that drives the warning trend.
Finally, the State Climate Change Action Plan was prepared in 2014 and accordingly the same was submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. In August 2015, the Union Government established National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change (NAFCC) to assist the States including J&K that are vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change in meeting the cost of adaptation activities that reduce the effects of climate change.
However, despite lapse of three years J&K has failed to avail benefit of National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change although no matching share is required to be paid from the State’s exchequer, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
Almost all the key departments like Power Development, Science and Technology, Tourism, Health and Medical Education, Disaster Manag-ement, Agriculture Production etc were required to immediately prepare concept notes as per the 11 missions identified under the State Action Plan on Climate Change so as to pave the way for grant of funds under NAFCC. However, only Agriculture Department prepared concept note and Detailed Project Report titled “Climate Resilient Sustainable Agriculture in Rain-Fed Farming (Kandi) areas of Jammu and Kashmir”.
This DPR worth Rs 22.52 crore was cleared under NAFCC and accordingly first installment of Rs 2.86 crore was released during 2016-17 financial year. “But till date major portion of this amount has remained unutilized thereby establishing that interest shown by the Agriculture Production Department at the initial stage has faded away”, sources said, adding “due to this the Union Government has made it clear that unless Utilization Certificates are submitted for the already released amount no further financial assistance can be extended as far as this project is concerned”.
Till date no other department has come up with the concept note on the basis of State Action Plan on Climate Change for submission to the Union Government, sources regretted, adding “all this clearly indicates that Action Plan is being treated merely as trash by majority of the Government Departments of J&K. Moreover, this is also reflection on the functioning of J&K State Council for Climate Change”.
“A cell specially constituted in the Forest Department at Civil Secretariat to ensure liaison with the concerned departments of State and Union Ministry of Environment and Forests is repeatedly insisting on preparation of concept notes but none of the department is ready to extend any cooperation”, sources regretted, adding “several departments are even preferring not to reply to the communications of this cell ever since its constitution”.
They said, “it seems that all these departments have yet not learnt any lesson from the adverse effects of the climate change in the form of unexpected rains, snowfall, flash floods and shrinking of water bodies”, adding “may be they are waiting for more disasters to wake up from the deep slumber otherwise there is no justification in maintaining non-serious approach towards implementation of State Action Plan on Climate Change”.
It is pertinent to mention here that climate change poses a serious threat to species diversity, habitats, forests, wildlife, fisheries and the water resources in the State. Many wetlands in J&K that support 20% of the known range of biodiversity are adversely affected so far. Moreover, the glaciers in Ladakh are melting at unexpected pace due to the impact of climate change.
An officer of the Forest Department, when contacted, confirmed that departments were sleeping over the requests vis-à-vis preparation of concept notes, which is the basic step towards getting financial assistance from the Union Government under NAFCC.
He disclosed that even J&K State Council on Climate Change headed by Chief Minister has not met during the past quite long time, which otherwise was supposed to intervene for getting the concept notes in all the missions prepared and submitted to the concerned authorities in Union Government.
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