SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today called for a practical and balanced approach to sustainable mountain development, stressing that environmental protection, economic growth and people’s livelihoods must go hand in hand.
The Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating the 13th Sustainable Mountain Development Summit, jointly organised by SKUAST-Kashmir and the Integrated Mountain Initiative, in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir Science, Technology and Innovation Council (JKSTIC). The summit, held under the J&K Agriculture Science Congress-2026, is themed around sustainable Himalayan landscapes for inclusive Viksit Bharat and the formulation of a Sustainable Mountain Development Policy for Jammu and Kashmir.
Emphasising the urgent need to protect the region’s fragile mountain ecology, the Chief Minister said climate change, erratic snowfall, water scarcity, extreme rainfall and landslides were increasingly affecting Jammu and Kashmir, making sustainable development essential for its long-term survival.
“We do not take care of our mountains, our environment as much as we should. We cannot stop global warming on our own, nor can we reverse it. The whole world will have to come together to address this challenge. But we can certainly take better care of our own environment,” he said.
Referring to changing weather patterns, the Chief Minister observed that snowfall had become increasingly erratic, with reduced snowfall and delayed winter precipitation contributing to water shortages during the spring months. He said prolonged dry spells were often followed by intense rainfall, cloudbursts and flooding, creating fresh challenges for communities and infrastructure.
Describing these developments as the new reality, Omar Abdullah said the challenge was to determine how Jammu and Kashmir could continue to develop while adapting to growing environmental risks.
“We have to ask ourselves: how do we sustain our livelihoods and how do we develop? Development is essential, but it must be sustainable,” he said.
The Chief Minister cautioned against viewing tourism as the sole cause of environmental degradation, while acknowledging the pressure that growing tourist numbers placed on popular destinations. He stressed that environmental responsibility had to be shared by the government, residents, businesses and visitors alike.
“Tourism does put pressure on our environment, but to assume that the situation is bad only because of tourism or tourists would also be wrong. We will have to take some responsibility,” he said, urging people to avoid littering, reduce the use of single-use plastic and conserve water and energy.
He called for a change in everyday practices, observing that people often discarded plastic wrappers and bottles in public places while expecting the government to clean up after them. While acknowledging the government’s primary responsibility for environmental management, he underlined that individual actions were equally important in protecting the natural surroundings.
On tourism development, the Chief Minister said the answer was not to abruptly restrict visitors to established destinations such as Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg, where livelihoods depended substantially on tourism. Instead, he advocated developing new destinations through a planned and sustainable approach, with adequate arrangements for sewage treatment, wastewater management and solid waste disposal in place from the outset.
“Some of our destinations do not have enough carrying capacity. We have to widen tourism, not to stop people from going to Gulmarg, Pahalgam or Sonamarg, but to develop new and sustainable destinations where the systems for waste disposal and sewage disposal are already ready,” he said.
Highlighting the need for environmentally sound infrastructure, Omar Abdullah said unscientific hill cutting during road construction had contributed to landslides and repeated damage to roads, particularly in far-flung areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
He said road construction agencies often resorted to indiscriminate cutting of mountain slopes without adequate consideration for slope stabilisation and appropriate cutting angles. While such practices might reduce initial construction costs, the resulting damage during rainfall frequently necessitated reconstruction, diverting resources that could otherwise be used to build new roads.
The Chief Minister said he had asked the Forest and Environment Department and the Public Works Department to work together to ensure that development projects incorporated sustainable engineering practices and reduced the risk of landslides.
“When you cut a mountain, cut it in a way in which the possibility of landslides may not be eradicated, but at least be reduced,” he said, emphasising that long-term sustainability must take precedence over short-term savings.
On urban development and housing, the Chief Minister called for greater emphasis on energy-efficient and earthquake-resilient buildings, along with more efficient land use. With land becoming increasingly scarce in the Valley, he said, planners needed to explore vertical development wherever appropriate rather than continued horizontal expansion, while ensuring compliance with seismic safety requirements.
Recalling the devastation caused by past natural disasters, including the 2014 floods and the earthquake that affected the region in 2005, he stressed the need to incorporate disaster resilience into future construction and examine cost-effective ways to retrofit existing buildings.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the visible retreat of glaciers in the region, recalling how the glacier near Sonamarg once extended close to the meadows. Today, he said, younger generations have to trek considerably farther to reach the receded glacier.
He said the changes underscored the responsibility of the present generation to protect the region’s natural heritage and preserve it for those who would inherit it.
“That is what we owe the future generations. Protect what we have, retrieve what we can, and ensure that we do not do any further damage, while also ensuring that livelihoods are protected,” he said.
Underlining the importance of agriculture and horticulture to Jammu and Kashmir’s economy, Omar Abdullah said the region’s economic foundations were often misunderstood by those who viewed tourism as its principal source of income. Agriculture and horticulture, he pointed out, contributed substantially more to the economy than tourism.
He said protecting the environment and promoting sustainable mountain development were therefore not merely conservation objectives but fundamental to the region’s economic security, livelihoods and long-term prosperity.
The Chief Minister expressed hope that the three-day summit would move beyond academic discussions and produce concrete recommendations that could be translated into effective policies and practical action.
He said Jammu and Kashmir aspired to become the first Himalayan territory to have its own mountain policy and that his government was keen to take the initiative forward. However, he stressed that the policy must emerge from wider consultation and reflect the realities of the region rather than being based on idealistic assumptions.
“Those recommendations need to be grounded in reality. We need to balance the need for sustainability with the need for existence and livelihoods,” he said.
The Chief Minister expressed gratitude to delegates and participants who had travelled from different parts of the country to attend the summit and said he would look forward to its recommendations.
“I cannot emphasise this point strongly enough. Sustainable development through actionable inputs and practical steps is what I hope this summit will deliver,” he said, wishing the participants success in their deliberations.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister also released several publications brought out for the summit.
Minister for Agriculture Production Javid Ahmed Dar, Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Commissioner Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department Mandeep Kaur, Vice-Chancellor SKUAST-Kashmir Prof Nazir Ahmed Ganai, President, Integrated Mountain Initiative, STS Lepcha, former president IMI PD Rai, Councillor, Integrated Mountain Initiative, Rajan Kotru, delegates from 11 mountain states, representatives of NGOs, faculty members, scholars, students and other concerned persons were present.
