{"id":1921,"date":"2025-10-23T20:35:38","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T20:35:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/?p=1921"},"modified":"2025-10-23T20:35:38","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T20:35:38","slug":"toxic-autumn-tradition-burning-of-leaves-branches-choke-kashmirs-air-endangers-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/2025\/10\/23\/toxic-autumn-tradition-burning-of-leaves-branches-choke-kashmirs-air-endangers-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Toxic autumn tradition: Burning of leaves, branches choke Kashmir\u2019s air, endangers health"},"content":{"rendered":"

Experts warn of long-term environmental, health impacts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pulwama, Oct 23: As autumn draws to a close in Kashmir, a familiar haze begins to settle over the valley, not from mist or fog, but from the widespread burning of fallen leaves and tree branches.<\/p>\n

The practice, deeply rooted in local tradition, is meant to produce charcoal for Kangris (traditional firepots) to keep homes warm during the freezing winter months. But environmentalists and health experts warn that this seasonal ritual is causing severe damage to both public health and the environment.<\/p>\n

Every year, as the pruning season begins in apple-growing districts like Pulwama, Shopian, Baramulla, Kulgam, and Anantnag, smoke rises from orchards and roadsides alike. The burning of heaps of leaves and twigs fills the air with thick smog, reducing visibility and worsening air quality.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe smoke from burning leaves contains fine particles and harmful gases that can easily reach deep into the lungs,\u201d said Dr Umar Mushtaq a scientist at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST).<\/p>\n

Speaking to the news agency\u2014Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Dr Umar said, \u201cThis can trigger respiratory problems, especially among children, the elderly, and those already suffering from asthma or heart diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n

Besides irritating the eyes and throat, leaf smoke contains carbon monoxide and Benzo(a)pyrene, a compound linked to lung cancer, he said, adding that carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood, making it particularly dangerous for vulnerable groups.<\/p>\n

Dr Umar said the practice is not only harmful but also illegal. \u201cBurning leaves in the open is against environmental regulations and Supreme Court guidelines,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople should instead compost the leaves or use urea sprays to accelerate decomposition and produce organic fertilizer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite these warnings, many residents say they are forced to continue burning leaves due to a lack of viable alternatives.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have no other option,\u201d said Waqar Ahmed, an orchardist from Pulwama. \u201cWe need charcoal for our Kangris, and with frequent power cuts in winter, this is the only way to stay warm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Echoing similar concerns, Muhammad Abdullah, a resident of Pulwama, said that electricity remains unreliable during the harsh winter months. \u201cEach year we face long power outages. Without Kangris, survival becomes difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n

Environmentalists say the combined smoke from thousands of small fires across the valley leads to a toxic blanket of pollution during the transition from autumn to winter.<\/p>\n

\u201cOpen burning releases particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and greenhouse gases, all of which contribute to poor air quality and climate change,\u201d said Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, an environmentalist. \u201cBecause of Kashmir\u2019s topography, these pollutants often get trapped in the atmosphere due to temperature inversion, forming smog that lingers for days.\u201d<\/p>\n

Such fires, Dr Ahmad said, also harm soil health, destroying beneficial microorganisms and reducing fertility.<\/p>\n

Experts and agricultural scientists have proposed several eco-friendly solutions. They suggested promoting sheep grazing in orchards, saying, \u201cSheep eat the fallen leaves and their droppings enrich the soil naturally. This reduces waste and adds nutrients back to the earth.\u201d<\/p>\n

They urged farmers to adopt composting, turning leaf litter into valuable organic manure instead of letting it go up in smoke.<\/p>\n

Doctors across the valley have reported a spike in respiratory ailments during this period. Health officials said that children and elderly citizens are the most affected. \u201cEvery autumn and early winter, we see an increase in cases of breathing difficulties, coughing, and chest infections \u2014 much of which can be linked to the smoke from leaf burning,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

Shabid Ahmed, a biology scholar at the University of Kashmir, believes awareness is the key. \u201cMost people simply don\u2019t know how harmful this practice is. The government must launch campaigns to educate farmers and provide support for eco-friendly disposal methods,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Experts agree that without stricter enforcement and public awareness, Kashmir\u2019s picturesque autumn will continue to end in smoke \u2014 literally \u2014 posing a silent but deadly threat to the valley\u2019s environment and people. (KNO)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Experts warn of long-term environmental, health impacts Pulwama, Oct 23: As autumn draws to a close in Kashmir, a familiar haze begins to settle over the valley, not from mist or fog, but from the widespread burning of fallen leaves and tree branches. The practice, deeply rooted in local tradition, is meant to produce charcoal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1922,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-news","category-kt-front"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1921"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1921\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1923,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1921\/revisions\/1923"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}