Srinagar, Jan 10: The Chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference and Kashmir’s Chief Cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday called upon the government and people for collective action to protect Kashmir’s natural and cultural heritage.

Addressing a Friday congregation at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, Mirwaiz said that experts revealed that Jammu and Kashmir has lost 30 percent of its glaciers in the past 60 years and have warned of the possibility of losing 70 percent by the end of the century if the trend continues.

He called upon the government, the civil society, and all people in general to take accountability and collective action to address these challenges and protect Kashmir’s natural and cultural heritage.

“This will be devastating if allowed to happen”, the Chief Cleric said.

Mirwaiz said the Jhelum River is witnessing lowest water levels in history of Kashmir at this time due to irregular rainfall patterns.

“Unchecked and unplanned urbanisation, rapidly consuming agricultural land and orchards, and so forth are lopsided and narrow definitions of so-called development“, he noted and added “While growth is necessary, it must not come at the cost of disruption to the environment and ecology”.

The All Parties Hurriyat Conference Chairman emphasized striking a balance is key, while foregrounding ecological and climatic concerns to protect the natural resources and beauty of Kashmir for future generations.

“Safeguarding our heritage and our environment and ecology- which are all interconnected, is important as they all define our identity, our culture and our future survival as a people, ” he said.

Mirwaiz stressed upon the urgent need for the government to have a vision and follow it up with a proper road map and comprehensive planning to address these critical issues and ensure sustainable development in the region.

He also unveiled the 2025 Islamic Calligraphy Calendar at Jama Masjid.

UNI

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