For the past ten years widespread use of high velocity rifles by security forces and extensive use of other high-tech weapons by the militants in villages and forests surrounding the Himalayan valley has further added to the destruction of the already scarce wildlife reserves.

The massive deployment of Indian and Pakistani army on the borders for past more than 50 years has resulted in a large scale poaching as the military activities and militancy in forward border areas resulted in killing of rare species of wildlife like the ibex, blue sheep, urian, the big horned sheep, antelope and snow leopard. There is no effective legislation in force to prevent environmental and ecological damage.

Kashmiri stag or hangul is now only spotted in the northern regions of Kashmir valley and its population is reduced to less than 300. In the first threeyears of Indo-Pak conflict over Kashmir alone, at least 400 Kashmiri stag had been killed.

According to the state wildlife department no hangul has been sighted between 1991 and 1994 in the "winter zones". Over 300 species of birds used to reside in virgin forests of Kashmir. Today those forests stand naked with barely any signs of visible bird life.

Along with loss of forests and indiscriminate killings of wild animals, Kashmir has also lost a number of wildlife sanctuaries. Kashmir's ecological balance has been severely disturbed as a result of unabated environmental destruction.

The combined effect of deforestation and mismanagement of water resources has resulted in soil erosion, which is responsible for frequent flash floods now seen in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Major lakes and rivers in Kashmir have caused serious diseases due to lack of maintenance, neglect and pollution.

Dal Lake, one of the world's largest natural lakes, is rapidly shrinking in size. An expert Indian group wasshocked to find out the drastic changes in Dal Lake that have taken place in the last 15 years.

Srinagar even lacks a clean drinking water supply for its domestic use. Forty percent of all illness in Kashmir is related to polluted water supplies.

Telecommunication facilities are barely existent. Post offices barely receive or deliver any mail. Electricity is always on the blink and in winters blackouts lasting weeks are a fairly common phenomenon in Srinagar.

A group of America-based researchers and environmentalists has launched a global campaign to protect the flora and fauna in Jammu and Kashmir including the areas under Pakistani occupation. The group, Kashmir Environmental Watch Association (KEWA), has also planned to prevent the blind construction of dams in the state.

KEWA has launched an international campaign on issues like saving the snow leopard and hangul deer and preservation of Gurez valley. Working under some international environmental organisations, the group is planning toopen chapters in Srinagar, Muzaffarabad and Gilgit.

The centres will be connected by a state-of-the-art communication network. KEWA has asked both India and Pakistan to help them to establish a vibrant environmental movement throughout Jammu and Kashmir.

The latest Indo-Pak dialogue on Kashmir shows that an immediate breakthrough is not possible with Indian and Pakistani diplomats sticking hard to their own positions. Environmental cooperation in Kashmir can be an excellent take-off point for India and Pakistan as environment is something that can provide a common cause and a bridge between these two nuclear neighbours.

India and Pakistan must immediately publish a white paper on ecology and environment in their respective areas of Kashmir stating the deforestation and environmental threats in the region and their `action plans' to tackle them.

India and Pakistan can jointly set up committees to take up such tasks as discussing issues of deforestation, endangered species, erosion control, wastedisposal, and conservation of water and electricity. There should not be any shortsighted development at the permanent cost of the environment of Jammu and Kashmir.