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Srinagar, June 25, 2013 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, the Kashmir Centre for Social and Development Studies (KCSDS) has urged the Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to come up with a plan to limit the duration of Amarnath Yatra and flow of pilgrims for conservation of fragile environment of the area.
A KCSDS spokesman in a statement in Srinagar said that the Centre held an important meeting with its Chairperson, Professor Hameeda Nayeem, in chair and discussed the aftermath of Uttarakhand environmental tragedy that resulted in the killing of over one thousand people and loss of property worth billions due to devastating floods.
“There is a need for plan of action to stop the unbridled and prolonged rush of people into the extremely eco-sensitive terrain of Amarnath Shrine by limiting the number of pilgrims as well as the duration of Yatra to 15 days as it used to be before its politicization (beginning with the formation of a shrine board),” he said.
The statement said that there was a need to preserve the biodiversity and wild life of the area and above all need to protect the glacial table of Kashmir from melting as it had already receded in size due to warming in the area.
The Centre said that it would have dire consequences if the flow of pilgrims and the duration of pilgrimage were not restricted and if natural habitat was disturbed by creating facilities on way to Amarnath Shrine.
For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736