Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 24: Notwithstanding the fact that climate change issue is being seriously pondered upon worldwide because of its dangerous ramifications for the human beings, Jammu and Kashmir Government has remained most insensitive towards this phenomenon and failed to prepare State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) despite missing several deadlines fixed by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that since climate change has become a burning issue across the world, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests prepared National Action Plan in 2008 whereby a number of measures were out-lined to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Accordingly, all the States across the country were directed to develop State Action Plan on Climate Change to define as to how they intend to undertake activities and programmes aimed at climate change mitigation.
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests had also directed that the State Action Plans should be in line with the objectives of the National Action Plan and ensure its implementation at the State level.
These directions were imperative keeping in view the impacts of climate change, which range from affecting agriculture, further endangering food security and increase intensity of natural disasters. But like several other States of the country Jammu and Kashmir too has remained ‘insensitive’ towards this very sensitive issue, sources said.
Despite lapse of several years and missing numerous deadlines the State Government has failed to come up with the final copy of the Action Plan so that the same could be submitted to the Union Ministry, they regretted. “Initially, the preparation of draft action plan took time and then the copies of draft remained lying with the stakeholders (different departments) for submission of comments and department-wise action plans”, sources added.
When the uniform State-level Action Plan was placed before the Executive Committee of Jammu and Kashmir State Council on Climate Change headed by Chief Secretary in the month of February this year, it was suggested that some improvements must be carried out in the draft. Accordingly, more experts were engaged and at present the draft Action Plan was being revised, sources said.
On completion of this exercise, the revised draft Action Plan would again be placed before the Executive Committee headed by Chief Secretary and after getting its nod the same would be placed before the Governing Council headed by Chief Minister for final approval.
“Keeping in view the process through which the revised draft will pass through no timeframe can be specified for the preparation of final Action Plan and its submission to Government of India”, sources added.
“The delay in preparation of Action Plan and its submission to the MoEF is notwithstanding the fact that Jammu and Kashmir has already been categorized as sensitive State by the Forests Survey of India keeping in view adverse impact of development on agriculture land, glaciers, rivers, wetland and wildlife”, sources said.
It is pertinent to mention here that climate change has become a major threat to the State as earlier the insurgency contributed to the destruction of forest wealth and now big development projects have led to massive environment degradation in various parts of the State.
In such a scenario document like SAPCC is imperative to provide proper guidelines to various Government agencies while planning any infrastructural development project in future. The document like SAPCC assumes further importance in view of complex nature of climate change impact in three diverse regions of the State.
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