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Home , Banihal Pass, Budgam, Chadoora, Dal Lake, Sukhnag River, Tulail Valley

Treating COVID patients .... Page 4 SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2020 INTERNET EDITION : www.dailyexcelsior.com/sunday-magazine Bhagavad Gita ...... Page 3 Muddied by Militancy Waterbodies in

Col Satish Singh Lalotra respectively and the of boasts of like , Pagong Tso ,Tso kar etc .In addition to the " The earth is what we all have in common"… above there are about 2500 glacial lakes in Gilgit Wendell Berry. Baltisthan(GB) of POK .With the onset of militancy in early Nothing sums up more succinctly for the entire human 1990 ,the union territory witnessed unprecedented law and race as the quote above. For its very survival hinging on a order situation which continues even till date. In response to slender thread of hope, optimism and good work generated this numerous military installations /camps have come up by a few conscientious people ,humanity is fighting with its on the river banks and lakes to keep a vigil on terrorists ,yet back to the wall against its own insidious community which in the absence of an effective and efficient waste disposal is hell bent upon destruction of the entire ecosystem to say system ,the stay of military is fraught with dangers for the the least. Never ever in the history of mankind were there so overall sustainability of the fragile ecosystem over here. The many disparate groups of people spread far and wide across unhindered disposal of waste into these lakes and water the globe as seen now and bent upon wreaking vengeance bodies is proving harmful to the overall growth and increase upon hapless fellow beings ,animals and environment trying in nutrient value whereas giving a fillip to the formation of to seek retribution for actions not committed by them. It is deadly bacteria. Dal one of the premier lakes of Kashmir an irony and travesty of justice of our modern times that valley has shrunk drastically as a result of capricious actions man has converted himself into a defective cog in a vast by the locals which include conversion of water into land all machine known as environment /ecology ,just as Charlie because of absence of punitive actions by the authorities that A view of . Excelsior/Abid-Nabi Chaplin the famous Hollywood hero of yester years in his matter. famous movie 'Modern times' by his wayward movements almost 60% of total fish produce of J&K as also a source of of forests lighted by these militants to obscure their move- The waste material from house boats ,also pours into the had stopped the entire chain of functioning of his factory sustenance for a huge chunk of human population living on ments as also to throw the security forces off balance who lake resulting into excessive weed formation like moss, .Militancy in its various hues has done exactly the same the its fringes. The WUMCA (Wular conservation management used to be in hot pursuit of them. The union territory of J&K Azolla and duck weed which flourish to no end. This has world over .i.e a defective cog in the vast machinery of our authority) releases almost 45 to 50 lakhs of rupees every year possess the highest number of glaciers outside of the polar resulted into blocking of sunlight from reaching the plants ecosystem. for waste disposal/management to the local authorities, but region amounting to 60% of Himalayan and 13% of its geo- under water thus depriving them from the much needed oxy- The world's major conflicts from the years 1950 till date then as is the wont ,it gets siphoned off and instead about graphical area with in Ladakh at an average gen thereby stunting their growth. The illegal encroaching of have occurred or are occurring in the most biologically 100 tons of waste is dumped every day into the Wular lake . elevation of about 17000 to 18000 ft above MSL.In addition land ,farming and setting up of small craft industrial units diverse and threatened places on this earth. A study con- to the above there are about 5000 glaciers and 2500 glacial and hotels have acted as a deterrent to projects like " ducted by a reputed science journal "conservation Biology " lakes in Gilgit Baltisthan(GB) of POK with a potential of gen- cleaning" which started in sep 2005 and enjoys 100% fund- points out that there are 34 bio diverse regions in the world The waste material from house boats, erating approximately 52000 MWs of electricity power . ing from the GOI. The cleaning of Dal lake would have meant ,Kashmir being one of them. Sheltering a rich The J&K Pollution Control Board the sole authority for displacement of thousands of families who live in and also pours into the lake resulting into repository of bio diversity ,J&K presently stands threatened around the lake and has to be taken care of in case the local checking unabashed Pollution is a failure in this respect owing to the ongoing conflict /terrorism in its various forms. excessive weed formation like moss, dispensation decides to go in for the said project in the right plagued and hamstrung as it is by lack of qualified staff. The union territory of J&K has experienced 3 wars since earnest. The Wular lake too doesn't fare well on this front. Azolla and duck weed which flourish to Having been posted to J&K thrice in my service ,I have 1947 and has seen a war like situation for more than close to One of the largest fresh water lakes in Asia playing an impor- been witness at regular intervals from mid 80s to 90s to three decades now. Besides the loss of human lives this con- no end. This has resulted into blocking of tant role in the hydrographic system of and early 2003 ,a drastic change in the flora and fauna over a flict has led to the destruction of the union territory's ecolog- acting as a huge absorption base for the annual flood waters sunlight from reaching the plants under period of 20 to 30 years .Places like Thajiwas glacier, ical wealth . Due to the counter insurgency tasks military is today a far cry from its long lost glory of yesteryears. Machoi glacier in the vicinity of /Zozila are now forces are forced to set up their camps in the forest areas dis- water thus depriving them from the Wular lake had in fact risen to the occasion in sep 2014 turbing the habitats of wild animals who then stray into bereft of any worthwhile fauna due to its proximity to infil- during the infamous floods ,when it took extra flood waters much needed oxygen thereby stunting human settlements . The unceremonious dumping of tration routes of militants and increased foot fall of army as into its system thereby saving city from sure ruina- arms/ammunition and mines on both sides of the LOC also their growth. well as tourists ,since it falls on the famous tourist circuits of tion. But off late the lake is fighting a losing battle due to had ill effects on the health of land leading to soil infertility the state. Militant activities coupled with counter infiltration endemic encroachments with vegetable gardens ,toilets res- ,thereby leading to decline in agri production. There are tasks has cast a death knell on almost all benign actions to idential structures and garbage dumping sites. Added to the about 1000 water bodies in the union territory of J&K being As if this is not enough, the brazen manner in which trees, include economic ,tourist ,health ,education etc of the union above litany of woes is the presence of militant camps in and fed by perennial rivers like Jhelum ,Chenab ,Indus, Tawi and shrubs etc are cut or set on fire by the militants and the territory . "Transparency international" a non-governmen- around the marshy village wetlands of Wular to include Kishan Ganga to name a few. security forces to clear their area for better visibility in their Watlab ,Warpora and outskirts of Bandipora forcing even tal organization had listed J&K as the most corrupt place in The union territory has numerous lakes and wetlands at sphere of operations is the proverbial last straw on the the Indian Navy to deploy its MARCOS/Marine commando after ,a moniker which has stuck to it for quite different altitudes bounded by the great Himalayas . There camel's back. This all has resulted into patches of ugly defor- units . These units have been at the forefront of flushing out some time now and needs to be removed with all the con- are about 500 lakes in Kashmir valley with ,Dal lake and estation which goes on unabated even as on today. I dis- tempt it deserves. The need of the hour is to put our heads these militants who are hidden in the deep recesses of these tinctly remember while in service at valley and com- Wular being the most prominent among them. divi- together and look for a plausible solution to resurrect the wetlands and small islands created by the river Jhelum . muting up and down between Srinagar- Bandipora-Gurez in sion has two prominent lakes ,the Mansar and Surinsar union territory from myriad problems it is afflicted with. Wular lake is an important source of fish and accounts for early 2003/04 ,witness to numerous small fires in the midst

Trekking around Exploring Pir Panjaal mountains in is very safe and I Pir Panjaal would appeal to more and more people to trek this area. Mountains Trekkers from Jammu can The trekkers paradise come and enjoy

Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat the beauty of Trekking around meadows and mountains of Pir Panjaal has been my these meadows passion for the last 15 years. Almost every summer I along with my via . friends trek to different places located on the foothills of Pir Panjaal especially around . Doodh Ganga at Navkan During the last two months I hiked twice to explore the meadows and rivers that originate from different glaciers of Pir Panjaal in my district (Budgam). We undertook Kashmir. Chopan is the surname of Kashmiri shepherds who are locally called Pahael Gurez or Drass area as well in Ladakh. our first trek of this season around June 25th to 28th and then we again trekked the or Pohol (singular). We left from Doodh Pathri around 8:45 am on June 25th 2020 same area around July 11th to 13th . In our June trek I along with a group of 12 and within 3 hours we were at a meadow called Corag by local shepherds. Doodh Ganga at Navkan trekkers hiked up to Nawkan Shankar Bulbul area which is the place where the Doodh Doodh Pathri is a tourist spot in central Kashmir's Budgam district. It is 44 kilo- Pir Panjaal is the source of several rivers in Kashmir and Jammu region as well. In Ganga river originates. meters away from Srinagar and is located at an altitude of 2730 meters. From Dood District Budgam alone three major rivers Doodh Ganga , Shali Ganga and Sukh Nag BACKGROUND OF PIR PANJAAL Pathri one has to trek 1 km to reach Corag with a zigzag and arduous track which takes originate from glaciers of Pir Panjaal. Similarly Nallah Vishaw in and Poonch at least 3 hrs. Corag is located at a height of approximately 3500 meters just adjacent river also originates from Pir Panjaal's alpine lakes and glaciers. During our June 25th The Pir Panjaal mountain range consists of a group of mountains in the Lesser to Danderan meadow. By 1pm we pitched our tents and within no time it started rain- -28th trek this year we went upto Navkan area which is the source of Doodh Ganga ing heavily for 2 hours. In the evening just before sunset while I was walking on the Himalayan region which stretches from Muree in Pakistan in East -SouthEast (ESE) located near Shankar Bul Bul peak. Doodh Ganga is also called Tchatch Kull or Chaz to in West -North West (WNW). Near the bank of the moist grass, I met a Shepherd namely Aziz Chopan who hails from Jabbad Branwar of Kull in Kashmiri. The small valley where Doodh Ganga crosses in the Pir Panjaal River it gets dissociated from the Himalayas and forms a divide between the tehsil in Budgam. I had a long chat with Aziz. He told me about the prob- Beas and Ravi rivers on one side and the Chenab on the other end. lems and challenges the Chopan community was facing. Infact I was already aware mountains is called Tchatch kani Naad. Tchtch Kane means light coloured or even There are several traditional passes in this mountainous range called Galees. Pir ki about some of these problems as I have been quite oftenl visiting highland pastures white or greyish stones. One can see white and greyish mountains ridges and rocks in Galee is a famous pass that connects Kashmir valley with Poonch and via in summers. There were some issues about which I was not familiar. I have already the valley of Tchatch kani naad and I believe that is how Doodh Ganga got its name . The pass (Galee) connects Kashmir valley with Jammu. Some other written a detailed piece on Chopans in Daily Excelsior on July 16th 2020 titted as Tchatch Kull (Light or White coloured river) in view of its greyish -white colour water. major passes in Pir Panjaal are Sinthan pass that connects with , "Kashmiri Shepherds deserve ST status". Doodh Ganga which means Milky River is the or translation of Chtch Kull. Haji Pir Pass in Poonch sector. There are several smaller passes as well like Noorpur From Corag meadow (basecamp) to Navkan it took us 3 hrs to reach there and on Galee, Chor Galee and Choti Galee. Noorpur Galee connects Budgam district with SHEPHERDS IN PIR PANJAAL the way there were beautiful flowers (yellow , blue and purple) on hundreds of acres Poonch through Loran. To reach Noorpor Galee it takes almost 6 to 7 hrs to reach The Shepherds (Chopans) live in a dark, dingy mud house supported by some logs of grasslands. That was so charming and refreshing I will never forget. After crossing there via Tosamaidan or Doodh Patri in Budgam (on foot). in the meadows and pasture lands of Pir Panjaal. These mud huts are called Pahel Corag meadows , one has to get down a mountain ridge called Breg Labb. We then From Kashmir valley this mountainous range crosses through districts of Kotha's in Kashmiri. Every Chopan family has an identified Pasture land which is reg- come down the Breg Labb we reach the Doodh Ganga valley (Tchach kani naad) and , Budgam, , Shopian and Kulgam districts. From the other side we istered with the Revenue Department. These pasturelands also called Bahak in have Poonch , Rajouri, , Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar districts located under the Kashmiri are like a treasure for the shepherds as they live in these Bahak's for at least from here Navkan is located around 45 mins walk . Navkan is a small meadow where foothills of Pir Panjaal. Pir Panjal is also called Pir Pantsal in Kashmiri. In Hindu 3 months from June to August every year. Some of the important pasturelands Doodh Ganga comes down in a zigzag direction. Usually we see Doodh Ganga flowing scriptures this is referred as Panchaladeva. Deo Tibba (6,001Metres )and Indrassan (Bahak's ) in Pir Panjaal meadows in district Budgam are Diskhal , Dan Deran , Corag with high speed in upper reaches but here at Navkan it is calm and quiet and flows (6,221 Meters ) are two important peaks at the eastern end of the Pir Panjaal moun- , Ayud , Zande Qabar , Lidder Madh, Ashtaar , Tosamaidan etc.. downwards quietly through a green velvet like meadow. It is such a beautiful and tain range. From Western side we have Tatakoti peak (4725 Meters) located between Shepherds own a very handful of sheep. Most of the sheep they carry with them secluded place that worshipping here has altogether a different meaning. We left back Budgam and Poonch districts in J&K. Famous hill stations like , Doodh belong to farmers who pay them Rs 300 to Rs 350 per sheep for a season. The season to our basecamp after spending an hour or so at Navkan. Trekking around Pir Panjaal Pathri and in Kashmir are located near the foothills of Pir Panjaal . for Chopans begins around April and ends by October (7 months max). For two to mountains in Budgam is very safe and I would appeal to more and more people to trek RECENT TREK three months Chopans use local grasslands around their villages to feed the sheep and this area. Trekkers from Jammu can come and enjoy the beauty of these meadows via finally they start moving towards forests and their final abode is their Bahak or Poonch. They can trek from upper Loran and enter these meadows via Noorpur gali. Recently I went trekking with my friends to explore the glaciers of Doodh Ganga Pastureland. Bakerwals from Rajouri and Poonch also have their designated Bahaks in Best time to trek these areas is between 1st July to August end. river. We set up our basecamp in an upland pasture inhabited by nomadic Chopans of Kashmir and some have Bahak's registered in Pir Panjaal meadows or as far as Tulail (The author is Founder & Chairman of J&K RTI Movement.)