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Playing with environment not good: Omar on road till Amarnath shrine
Recently, the first set of vehicles reached the Amarnath cave as Border Roads Organisation (BRO) completed the road-widening till the cave shrine
National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Tuesday raised serious concerns over taking vehicles till the Amarnath cave shrine, citing environmental issues.
Recently, the first set of vehicles reached the Amarnath cave as Border Roads Organisation (BRO) completed the road-widening till the cave shrine.
However, some politicians raised concerns over the project saying that it will have an adverse impact on the environment.
“To provide some ease is one thing, but there is a dire need to have a re-look at the matter. Taking vehicles to such places is akin to destroying them. Since the yatra has started, people from here have carried the yatris on their shoulders and will continue to do so. Playing with our environment in such a way is not good,” Abdullah told reporters
Omar said that courts have already passed orders to safeguard green belt areas.
“Around Dal Lake, no construction is allowed, even people living inside Dal are not allowed to repair their houses. In Pahalgam, people can’t repair their houses and in Gulmarg, works of many people have been stopped,” he said, adding that in Sonmarg, event completed structures can’t be operated be due to environmental concerns.
“If we have save the environment at Dal, Pahalgam, Sonmarg and Gulmarg. Isn’t this mandatory for us to safeguard it near the holy shrine,” he questioned.
Omar said that Amarnath Yatra has been going on for years and vehicles were never needed before.
“Since the beginning of the pilgrimage, people of Kashmir have taken yatris on their backs.We will keeping doing it in future as well,” the former chief minister said.
On November 6, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had criticised the move, calling it the “biggest crime” committed to the faith of Hindus. The Bharatiya Janata’s Party J&K unit hit back at the PDP, and said that the road was prepared after proper environmental impact assessment and no trees were cut.
