Environmental Group Lauds CM’s Green Pledge, Warns Against Sacrificing Srinagar’s Green Lungs

SRINAGAR: The Environmental Policy Group (EPG) has strongly endorsed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s recent call for “judicious development,” made during the inauguration of Van Mahotsav 2025. The Chief Minister’s emphatic statement—”for every tree uprooted, a hundred must be planted”—has been welcomed by the EPG as a timely and crucial message for a city grappling with escalating environmental threats.

EPG highlighted the Chief Minister’s remarks, delivered in the presence of senior officials and civil society members, as a vital acknowledgement of the urgent need to balance urban development with ecological preservation and intergenerational responsibility.

However, the environmental watchdog simultaneously sounded a strong alarm regarding several pressing concerns, most notably the proposed flyover project connecting MA Link Road to Rajbagh. This project, EPG warns, poses a significant threat to Polo Ground, one of the last remaining green spaces in the heart of Srinagar. The proposed flyover would necessitate the felling of scores of majestic chinar trees, a species deeply intertwined with Kashmir’s natural beauty, ecological balance, and cultural identity.

“The chinar holds deep cultural and environmental significance in Kashmir. Its loss cannot be measured merely in numbers, but in the degradation of landscape, biodiversity, and identity,” stated an EPG spokesperson, cautioning that uprooting these trees would be a blow to both environmental resilience and the symbolic heart of the Valley.

Equally alarming, according to EPG, is the likely impact on the Polo Ground itself. This vital public space serves as a crucial hub for youth recreation, sporting activities, and community gatherings. At a time when Kashmir faces increasing social challenges, including rising substance abuse among its youth, EPG stressed that the preservation of such open spaces is more urgent than ever, emphasising their role in fostering physical, mental, and social well-being.

The EPG further expressed concerns that increased concretisation, including new bridges and impermeable surfaces, could exacerbate Srinagar’s vulnerability to urban flooding. The city already struggles with drainage and waterlogging during heavy rains, and unchecked infrastructure expansion risks increasing both the frequency and intensity of such events. EPG pointed to similar occurrences in other regions as a “strong alarm bell.”

While acknowledging the need for urban planning interventions to address traffic issues, EPG urged the government to explore sustainable alternatives that do not sacrifice irreplaceable ecological and social assets. One suggested possibility is the repurposing of Zero Bridge as a motorable crossing, which could offer traffic relief without compromising Srinagar’s invaluable green heritage.

The Environmental Policy Group concluded by expressing encouragement at the Chief Minister’s commitment to environmental stewardship, calling for this commitment to be reflected in every layer of policy and implementation. “Development must serve the people—not only by improving mobility but by sustaining the living environment they depend on,” stated the EPG, reiterating the Chief Minister’s sentiment that for every tree lost, a hundred must be planted—”not just on paper, but on the ground.”

EPG also highlighted a concerning recent trend of age-old chinar trees being subjected to “strangulation” by concrete boundaries, thoughtlessly covered with granite stones, deeming such actions “nothing short of satirical.”

The group called on the administration to revisit the flyover plan through transparent consultation and a proper environmental impact review, stressing that “protecting our green spaces today is an investment in public health, youth development, cultural preservation, and long-term climate resilience.”