The forest department top officials and Revnue Department is planning to sell off a number of forest compartments in Pahalgam range Lidder Forest Division.

Pahalgam August 07,2017: The forest department top officials and Revnue Department is planning to sell off a number of forest compartments in Pahalgam range Lidder Forest Division including compartment 34, 35ABC. Preaprations are on to sell dense forest land to private hands for private commercial use without any compensation etc. There will be a blind trading of land worth billions under a fraud 60c of 1944, though there is absolutely no law that allows the forest department to transfer ownership of forest land to private hands.

The civil society of Pahalgam, citizens, media and other organizations  should be prepared to teach these people a lesson if the situation arises and be prepared for a long political and legal battle ahead.

We cannot allow our forest land to be surrendered to private hands. The fraud that 60c of 1944 is needs to be exposed and we will do that no matter what the cost.

Mushtaq Pahalgami,
Himalayan Welfare Organization-HWO

Checked sanitation arrangements at Chandanwari today.

Pahalgam August 05,2017: Checked sanitation arrangements at Chandanwari today. The Municipal Committee Pahalgam  MCP is doing a good job in maintaining hygine and sanitation this year in chandanwari , however, the  SASB sanitation contractors  has done nothing to ensure proper  sanitation in said camps . The SASB contractors have only made money while ignoring cleanliness and sanitation completely.

Press and Publicity,
Himalayan Welfare Organization-HWO,

Himalayan Welfare Organization-HWO volunteers carried out a cleanliness drive at the Nunwanan yatra base camp.

Pahalgam August 01,2017: Himalayan Welfare Organization-HWO  volunteers carried out a cleanliness drive at the Nunwanan yatra base camp today like every year with the support of tent union pahalgam volunteers, under the leadership of Mushtaq Pahalgami. We will also carry out a similar drive at Amarnath yatra trek and camps, given that we consider cleanliness in the region as our primary duty.

Mushtaq Pahalgami,
Himalayan Welfare Organization-HWO

A private company KEI industries Limited New Delhi which has been alloted commissioned to lay underground power cableing work in Pahalgam town is all set to carry out the digging should not using heavy machines JCBs etc.

Pahalgam July 28,2017: A private company KEI industries Limited New Delhi which has been alloted commissioned  to lay underground power cableing work in Pahalgam town is all set to carry out the digging should not using heavy machines JCBs etc. This will not only adversely impact this ecologically sensitive  area but will also upset the already precarious nature-construction balance here.

We urge concerned authorities to take note of the danger and ensure that simultaneous turfing is carried out and any malba/debris dug out in the process is disposed off outside the Pahalgam Development Authority PDA area.
The Chief Executive Officer Pahalgam Development Authority PDA must also ensure that compensation is claimed for environmental damage from the company and an environmental expert appointed to oversee and assess the environmental impact of the project.

Mushtaq Pahalgami,
Himalayan Welfare Organization-HWO

Visited one of the largest engineering complexes in the state Engineering Complex rajbagh srinagar and was disappointed to see waste being disposed off irresponsibly in the open in side the complex .

Srinagar July 26, 2017: Visited one of the largest engineering complexes in the state Engineering Complex rajbagh srinagar and was disappointed to see waste being disposed off irresponsibly in the open in side the complex . Even officers like the Chief engineer.. and architect have their offices here and these are the very people who have to ensure that the state is well designed and well kept. Even the Pollution control board is closeby to this complex, but what can one expect from those who neither have the fear of law nor that of God!

Mushtaq Pahalgami,
Himalayan Welfare Organization-HWO

The Hon'ble Supreme court had issued directions to the state of J&K ,Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board -SASB ,PDa and SDA in SUO MOTU Writ Petition Civil No 284 of 2012 judgement that the environment and ecology of the himalayas amarnath region should not be disturbed at any cost.

Pahalgam July 25,2017: The Hon'ble Supreme court had issued directions to the state of J&K ,Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board -SASB ,PDa and SDA in SUO MOTU Writ Petition Civil No 284 of 2012 judgement that the environment and ecology of the himalayas amarnath region should not be disturbed at any cost. No major efforts have however been made by the board to restore conserve the environment in the face of damages occurring to it due to its activities. The board collects a very substantial amount of money as offerings and donations every year and a part of it should ideally be spent on environmental conservation efforts.

We local organizations and local volunteers had ourselves made an effort to recollect polythene from the yatra trek last year as volunteers but we were denied permission for the same from the concerned authority, making clear the board's intentions and sensitivity about this very sensitive issue.

Even though the Municipal Committee Pahalgam MCP and Pahalgam Development Authority PDA have done a good job in maintaining cleanliness, garbage disposal and sanitation this time in pahalgam and chandanwari , the situation is not good on the other yatra camps from Chandanwari to Holy Cave or Holy Cave to Baltal in camps .
We urge and appeal to Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board SASB,Pahalgam Development Authority PDA,Sonamarg Development Authority SDA  to have all litter ,polythene and plastics etc cleared and collected from the Amarnath region and disposed off in at Pahalgam and Sonamarg an environment friendly way, in keeping with the board's  guidelines. The garbage is usually dumped into earthen pits which is subsequently dug up by wild animals after the yatra. The same then gets washed into down side water bodies, destroying both these water bodies a swell as the glaciers.

We urge the PDA,  SDA and SASB to run a comprehensive and effective sanitation drive safai abhiyan in both the regions after yatra , including in yatra camps and trek route and the Himalayan Welfare Organization-HWO offers its support for any of these action programs required.

Mushtaq Pahalgami,
Himalayan Welfare Organization-HWO

The Himalayan Welfare Organization-HWO has been consistently pursuing the matter of sanitation and environmental conservation in whole himalayan region esp Pahalgam and we are glad our efforts have started showing results.

Pahalgam July 25,2017: The Municipal Committee Pahalgam MCP has taken a strict and immediate notice of our complaint and social media posts, and have got waste and garbage cleared from the both sides of circuit road encl forest vicinity . We appreciate the sincerity shown by the DULBK,PDA  and esp Municipal Committee Pahalgam MCP leadership and workers in the matter.
The  Himalayan Welfare Organization-HWO has been consistently pursuing the matter of sanitation and environmental conservation in whole himalayan region esp Pahalgam and we are glad our efforts have started showing results.
Mushtaq Pahalgami,
Himalayan Welfare Organization-HWO