IIOJK among worst in Water Quality Index, exposing ecological crisis in disputed territory
Srinagar: Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir figures among the six worst-performing territory under India on a widely circulated water quality index, ranking 31st out of 36, exposing the ecological crisis unfolding in the disputed territory.
According to Kashmir Media Service, with a score of 62 percent, IIOJK’s water quality appears to be dipping, signaling an alarming situation for a territory located in the water-rich Himalayan landscape. The finding is concerning, as the map, shared by a social media news outlet, shows only Ladakh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi with a lower score.
The scores and percentages are based on data from the New Delhi-based Central Pollution Control Board. Mizoram tops the list with 92.5 percent, while Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh scored 82 percent and 83 percent, respectively.
IIOJK is home to some of the region’s most significant freshwater assets, including the Jhelum and Dal Lake. Its low ranking suggests that the challenge is no longer just safe supply, but whether the ecosystems feeding that supply are themselves being degraded under the Indian occupation. CPCB has identified eight polluted water bodies in IIOJK, including polluted stretches of the Jhelum. Chuntkol in Srinagar has a Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) of 11.2, while a Jhelum stretch has recorded 7.8, both indicating serious pollution pressure.
