Pollution Threatens Kashmir's Fish Species

By Athar Parvaiz

SRINAGAR, Feb 13, 2011 (IPS) - Several species of fish unique only to the waters of Kashmir are in danger of extinction due to high levels of pollution, environmentalists say.

Limnologist and professor A. R. Yousuf, a specialist in fresh water lakes and rivers, says the excessive and unchecked use of pollution-causing herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers of sub-standard quality dumped into Kashmir waters is the main threat to the survival of these fish species.

Yousuf’s list of endangered fish species includes the rama gurun (botia birdi), once abundant and even caught in commercial quantities, which has now almost disappeared.

Another is the algaad (Schzothorax niger), found only in Kashmir, whose number has alarmingly lowered. Other species, whose population is under severe pressure include chhurn (S.esocinus), chosh (S.labiatus), khont (S.plagiostomus) and sater gaad (S.curvifrons).

Experts like Yousuf are worried that the use of herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers for agriculture and horticulture has picked up enormously in recent years.

Yousuf said their experiments have revealed that the local fish species are most sensitive to the pollutants. "Their larvae or juveniles get poisoned by these pollutants and die," he added.

Kashmir’s Pollution Control Board (PCB) has been constantly warning the government about the heavy environmental pollution in Kashmir valley and its direct impact on the lakes and the River Jhelum, the major breeding ground of native species of fish in Kashmir.

A recent survey conducted by the PCB found that more than 40 million liters of untreated liquid waste from Srinagar city alone, as well as 350 metric tons of solid waste, get dumped into Kashmir’s bodies of water including the River Jhelum and Dal Lake.

The records of Kashmir’s Agriculture Department reveal that Kashmiri farmers used 50,000 quintals of pesticides and herbicides in their farms in 2010.

"There is an annual increase of 20 percent in the consumption of these substances," says Assistant Director for Agriculture Ghulam Mohi-u-Din Rather.

Yousuf has come out with other conclusions as well. "In the early 20th century two exotic species, salmo trutta fario and oncorhynchus mykiss were introduced in the River Jhelum and its tributaries to attract the anglers from world over," he told IPS. "But the introduction of these species was not based on any scientific study which would have assessed their compatibility with the native species."

He says that both these trout species got established in the upper reaches of the tributaries in the areas which served as the breeding grounds for the native Schizothorax species.

"The result was the gradual dwindling of the native species as their eggs and young ones became easy prey for the new entrants, both of which are typical carnivorous organisms," Yousuf said.

He added that the accelerated deforestation over the last few decades and significant quantities of eroded soil entering the upper reaches of the streams caused the loss of native species’ breeding grounds.

"The exotic species did not suffer much on this account as their population in the streams was regularly reinforced by the government agencies by releasing fry and fingerlings raised in the farms. The entry of raw domestic sewage into Kashmir’s water bodies increased the problems for the native species further," Yousuf said.

Yousuf also cited as a reason for the dwindling fish population the over- extraction of sand and gravel, where the native fish feed and breed.

Ismaeel Dar, a fisherman in Awantipora, told IPS that contractors have been using heavy equipment to extract sand and gravel. "This has snatched our livelihoods from us," he lamented. "We used to earn 200 to 300 rupees (seven dollars) a day, but now we hardly find any fish to catch."

The rapid melting of glaciers in spring due to the impact of climate change is also a factor in the decline of native fishes.

"At the time of spawning, during spring season, the streams are generally full of water because of melting of snow and the broods of migrating fish try to go as upstream as possible and lay eggs in shallow areas having sandy or gravelly bottom," he said.

But the water recedes once the melting stops, causing shallow areas to dry up, Yousuf said. "The fingerlings of the fishes get trapped in pools of leftover water and ultimately get perished after finding no access to the main stream," Yousuf said.

Source: IPS.
Link: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=54460.

There's Been NO REVOLUTION So Far

David Icke
February 12, 2011

I have been watching the understandable euphoria in Egypt live on Al Jazeera television, but please, there must be a sense of perspective here – and urgently.

There has been NO REVOLUTION so far – a despicable tyrant has gone, but the army that imposed the will of that despicable tyrant for 30 years is now in charge and the Egyptian army is not only controlled by the US, it is funded by massive American military ‘aid’ – second only in scale to Israel.

It is true that the army didn’t fire on the demonstrators as it would have done before, but it did so at the time that its masters in America were calling for Mubarak to step down, in effect, and for the protesters to be left alone. Why did the US government do this after supporting the tyrant for 30 years? Because they want ‘regime change’ in Egypt as part of a domino effect across the whole Middle East to advance a much bigger agenda.

Mubarak’s demise was announced by his vice-president, the US puppet, Omar Suleiman, the head of the vicious and murderous Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate that as well as controlling the population through sheer terror also accepted Muslim detainees arrested by the US to be tortured in Egypt in ways that would have been illegal in America – the so called ‘Extraordinary Rendition’.

And waiting in the wings is America’s (the Illuminati’s) man, Mohamed ElBaradei, who is on the Board of Trustees of the International Crisis Group of Rothschild front-man, George Soros, and his associate Zbigniew Brzezinski, who specialize in triggering and manipulating ‘peoples’ revolutions’ to change regimes while hiding the force that is really behind it all.

It is wonderful to see the joy of the Egyptian people at the end of Mubarak, but the job is only half done and if it ends here nothing will change. ‘Peoples’ revolutions’ covertly inspired by the money and agencies of George Soros in Georgia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic and elsewhere also has their moments of enormous euphoria when a regime fell, but any revolution of the people can only be judged by what replaces that which is removed.

Others have been deeply disappointed and disillusioned in the past and if Egypt is not to go the same way the focus and determination must not be lost – and ElBaradei must not prevail, nor anyone else who represents the forces of control and suppression.

Out of the frying pan into the fryer is not a revolution.

Source: Infowars.
Link: http://www.infowars.com/david-icke-theres-been-no-revolution-so-far/.

Egypt, Kashmir protests similar: PDP

Srinagar, February 12, 2011

People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday drew similarities between protests in Egypt and Kashmir and saw dissimilarities in the handling of the protests by state authorities. In the backdrop of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak’s stepping down on Friday in the face of sustained street protests, Mehbooba said at a press meet here: “I congratulate the people of Egypt for what they have achieved.

But at the same time I appreciate the army of Egypt. They protected their people during this crisis.” She added, “The people in Egypt were fighting for democracy and we are fighting in spite of democracy for the past 60 years.”

Citing differences in the Egyptian and Kashmiri leadership, she lashed out at the state government. “When people came out in Egypt, nobody accused them of being one or the other. But when people came out on roads here demanding justice, our own government labeled them as Lashkar-e-Toiba agents. Now, they are saying that the thousands of youngsters pelting stones on the roads are drug addicts. The leadership is maligning its own people,” she said.

The chief of Jammu and Kashmir’s main opposition party criticized the Center for not acknowledging changing nature of protests in Kashmir. “After 9/11 there was a transition in Kashmir from bullet to ballot, but unfortunately, the Central leadership ignored that transition. That is the reason for what we witnessed in Kashmir in the last three years,” she said. Chief minister Omar Abdullah responded to Mehbooba’s comments on microblogging site Twitter. “She wants army rule in Kashmir as well since her party is in opposition,” he posted.

“Kashmir saw Egypt-like protests last year,” he added later.

Protest campaign from Feb 14

Mehbooba also said that the PDP would launch a protest campaign on February 14 to fight for the “Azadi” of people from government “repression” and freedom for people to travel and trade across South and central Asia through the traditional routes of Kashmir. She said the party would fight for lifting the “siege” over the traditional routes to restore the centrality of the state.

Source: Hindustan Times.
Link: http://www.hindustantimes.com/Egypt-Kashmir-protests-similar-PDP/Article1-661568.aspx.

Somalia: Al Shabaab Talks About People Apprehended

11 February 2011

Afgoye — The administration of Al shabaab movement in lower Shabelle region in southern Somalia on Friday gave further details about dozens of people who they seized during operations in the region.

Sheikh Abdulghani Abu Yahia, Al shabaab's deputy governor of lower Shabelle region said that the people captured after committing Anti Islam deeds.

Abu Yahia, who spoke to local media, said that well trained Al shabaab fighters conducted the operations in different areas in lower Shabelle.

Days ago, the fighters of the movement shave seized more that 150 persons after accusing them of being Takfir clerics.

Nonetheless, Takfir clerics believe that anyone who is not part of them that he is out of Islamic religion.

Source: allAfrica.
Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/201102111130.html.