Is J&K witnessing the brunt of Climate Change?
‘In Last 28 Years, Mean Temperature Rose By 2.32°C and 1.45°C In Jammu and Kashmir Regions’
Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing the brunt of climate change and average mean temperature in the last 28 years has climbed up by 2.32 degree Celsius and 1.45°C in the two regions respectively, a senior official said Friday.
“In 2014, we witnessed a devastating flood situation in Kashmir and almost every year due to untimely rainfall, the crop of paddy in Jammu and apple in Kashmir suffer huge losses, he added saying that we should prepare ourselves and our farmers to adapt to these weather changes so that they would not suffer on economic front,” Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Atal Dulloo said Friday.
He was speaking at the inauguration of two day International conference on “Existing Climate Change Scenario and its Arising Risks” being held at SKUAST-Jammu here, an official spokesperson said Friday.
The conference is being organized by Mahima Research Foundation in conjunction with the Social Welfare Department and Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu.
“J&K is also witnessing the brunt of climate change and average mean temperature in the last 28 years has climbed up by 2.32°C and 1.45°C in Jammu and Kashmir region respectively,” Dulloo said.
The ACS, as per the spokesperson, strongly advocated that agriculture is the only sector that can help in reducing poverty by raising incomes and food security for 80 percent of the world’s poor populace.
“But, today the prosperity of agriculture and the future of our farmers is being threatened by numerous impending challenges like climate change which needs to be tackled collectively,” he said.
Dulloo, he said, further stated that the yield of rainfed and irrigated rice in India has been projected to reduce by 2.5 percent and 7 percent respectively by 2050.
Further, he said, wheat yield has been projected to be lessened by 6-25 percent in 2100 and maize yields by 18-23 percent.
The ACS, the spokesperson said, informed that the government have constituted a High Powered Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. Mangla Rai, Former DG, ICAR and Secretary DARE for formulating a comprehensive policy for holistic agriculture development in J&K.
He said that Dulloo, during his inaugural speech congratulated the SKUAST Jammu for holding this mega event of great relevance in present era.
The ACS, he said, maintained that Agriculture is an integral part of world’s economy and is the lifeline of underdeveloped and developing countries like India.
He appreciated the Vice Chancellors of both farm universities for playing outstanding role in drafting proposals with the target to enhance incomes of farmers in J&K,”
He said that SKUAST Jammu is a hub of various technological innovations in the field of agriculture and has achieved numerous milestones under the stewardship of Vice Chancellor Professor J P Sharma.
Professor Sharma, the spokesperson said, appreciated Dulloo for his outstanding efforts during the COVID period and now in agriculture sector which has been recognized and rewarded at UT level and national level as well.
“He said that J&K administration has initiated several initiatives which would definitely transform the agriculture profile of the UT. He added that farm universities and all the development departments are now working collectively for development of farmers and agriculture in J&K,” he added.
According to the spokesperson, Professor Nazir Ahmad Ganai, Vice Chancellor, SKUAST Kashmir, who was the guest of honour, said that in the present era, agriculture is facing a lot of challenges regarding water scarcity, declining land availability, land fragmentation, wastage of agricultural produce, and disinterest of youth towards agriculture and migration of rural people towards urban areas.
