Muzaffarabad [PoJK], December 2 (ANI): Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) is facing a mounting environmental and social crisis, as rising pollution, widespread deforestation, and deepening poverty leave local communities struggling for survival. Residents report that the twin challenges are intensifying daily, with little to no government intervention.
Weeks without rainfall have turned the region’s air hazardous, thick with dust, smoke, and toxic pollutants. Locals say expanding forest fires—many deliberately set—are worsening the situation. Skyrocketing gas prices have driven many to cut down trees and burn forested areas for cheaper fuel, accelerating environmental degradation.
“People are cutting down forests very quickly. There is a lot of fire in the jungles,” said PoJK resident Saad Hameed Kiyani, attributing the uncontrolled fires to drought and rising fuel costs. He added that pollution-related illnesses are rising sharply. “Some people are getting allergic, some people are getting pneumonia,” he said, highlighting the growing public health threat.
Alongside the environmental crisis, the region is grappling with severe economic distress. PoJK youth, both educated and uneducated, face bleak prospects, with high unemployment and deteriorating mental health. Many graduates, despite large investments in higher education, are left jobless or forced into work unrelated to their field of study.
“There are problems for both educated and illiterate youth,” Kiyani explained. “People have invested millions of rupees in universities, but when they go to the field, they do not get jobs or opportunities. They are suffering from depression.”
Those without education or skills face even harsher struggles. With soaring prices and limited employment opportunities, many families are slipping deeper into poverty, unable to meet basic needs.
Residents warn that the region is being pushed toward an uncertain future, as forests vanish, air quality worsens, and livelihoods shrink. (ANI)
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