Kashmir bans burning of leaves

With air pollution worsening in New Delhi and beyond, Indian-administered Kashmir has decided to step up efforts to combat its own worsening air quality.

The state's government announced last month that it would begin enforcing an existing ban on the burning of leaves and wood pruned from trees.

The government said such burning is hazardous to residents' health and ash from the fires contributes to the melting of glaciers in the region.

Kashmir has millions of fruit and other trees, including poplar, willow and Chinar, an oriental plane tree. Some are traditionally pruned in autumn and early winter, or produce leaves that fall as a thick red and amber carpet on the ground.

Often the pruned wood and leaves are burned, with the ash combined with charcoal for winter heating or mixed into the soil to enrich it.

Under existing state environmental and municipal laws such burning is illegal, but this year the government has decided to enforce the ban, issuing circulars to district authorities asking them to strictly implement the law.

According to a note accompanying the order from the chief minister's office, burning is aggravating air pollution and producing fine particulate that is particularly hazardous when breathed in.

Dr. Parvaiz Koul, head of internal and pulmonary medicine at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar, said he believed burning was most likely contributing to a growing burden of respiratory disease in the city.