Leaf burning adding to pollution woes in Valley

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 9

With Srinagar having already registered suspended particulate matter beyond permissible limits, the burning of fallen leaves and biomass across hinterland is adding to the smog, further deteriorating the air quality in the Valley.

As per a recent report by the J&K state Pollution Control Board, which has set up ambient air quality monitoring stations across the state, Srinagar has witnessed a “gradual rising trend” in air pollution, with the suspended particulate matter recorded beyond permissible limits.

Though the board had attributed the “vehicular emission” and construction works, including that of the Jahangir-Chowk-Rambagh flyover, as the major contributing factors to air pollution, scientists have warned that the air quality of Kashmir may worsen in autumn and with the gradual fall in night and day temperatures, there will be smog-like conditions.

“The air quality of the Kashmir valley deteriorates significantly during autumn with the level of PM (Particulate Matter) 2.5 touching 350 µg/m3 against the national permissible limit of 60 µg/m3,” Head of Department (HoD), Earth Sciences, Kashmir University (KU), Dr Shakil Ahmad Romshoo said.

He added that the current prolonged dry spell and cold temperature in Kashmir along with the elevated level of emissions from the biomass burning is likely to cover the Valley, particularly Srinagar, with a blanket of smog in the next few days.

The burning of biomass, particularly the fallen chinar and apple tree leaves, picks momentum across Kashmir with the beginning of the autumn season as people in hinterland prepare for the approaching harsh winter by preparing charcoal from leaves and twigs. This issue was recently flagged by the Coordinator of Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell, Tassaduq Mufti, who said biomass waste-burning had been banned under relevant environmental Acts and called for stopping the practice immediately, terming it “harmful and illegal”.

On the other hand, experts say people need to be given alternatives to discourage them from burning biomass waste like incinerators and electricity to enable the poor lot of society to keep themselves warm during winter.

“The technical advice given world over to apple growers by the horticulture experts is that leaves of apple trees should be burned as the fallen leaves, diseased leaves are a source of spores, which if not destroyed may spread infections, diseases in the next cropping season,” Director, Horticulture, MH Mir said, adding that ideally, every apple producing village should have an incinerator, which will help in scientific disposal of “leaves and biomass”.

“But we also tell orchardists that they can produce composted manure from fallen leaves, particularly Chinar leaves, by employing the available composting technologies. The simple way is to dump these leaves in a pit,” he suggested.