art integrated project on jammu and kashmir

art integrated project on jammu and kashmir

1. Jammu and kashmir

2. Index S.NO. CONTENT PAGE NO. 1. CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION 3 2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 4 3. HISTORY OF JAMMU 5 4. HISTORY OF KASHMIR 6 - 8 5. BIODIVERSITY OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR 9 - 10 6. MANAGEMENT OF ECOSYSTEMS AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES 11 - 12 7. JAMMU AND KASHMIR ENVIRONMENT POLICY 13 - 14

3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to express my special thanks to my Science teacher ‘ Mr. Arun A.’ for his guidance and support in completing my project . I would also like to extend my gratitude to the Principal Sir ‘ Mr. Rajesh Raja’ and Vice Principal Sir ‘ Mr. Aseem Saxena ’ for providing me with the facility that was required. DATE: STUDENT’S NAME: GRADE :

4. Brief History of Jammu It may be stated here that while plenty of material describing the geological evolution, early history, geographic, political, cultural and economic changes witnessed in the past by the valley of Kashmir is available, the ancient history of Jammu province is shrouded in mystery due to the non-availability of even a single chronicle which could throw some light on the happenings of the period prior to 18th century. During the 12th century, Rajputs of Jammu province and carved out separate estates and principalities in Jammu Province, such as, Jammu, Kishtwar , Bhaderwah , Basholi , Reasi etc. which they ruled as independent sovereigns. Except the fact that the city of Jammu was founded by Raja Jamboo Lochan who lived in 9th century A.D, very little information is available about the successive regimes which swayed the different regions of the province from time to time till Raja Ranjit Dev, son of Dhruv Dev, proclaimed himself as the ruler of the principality of Jammu in1730 A.D. From all available information, it appears that the first Raja of Dogra dynasty, named Agnivarna settled at Parol near Kathua and his son subsequently extended his domination as far west as Jammu Tawi . Four other Rajas followed in succession and two of the sons of the fifth Raja Agnigarbha , named Bahu Lochana and Jamboo Lochana , are said to have founded the Bahu Fort and the Jammu town respectively. With the installation of Sikh rule in Punjab, however, Jammu and all other adjoining areas were annexed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh with his territories .

5. Brief History of Kashmir Kashmir, if literally translated, means land desiccated from water: “Ka” (the water) and shimeera (to desiccate). Tradition says that Kashmir was originally a lake that was drained by the great saint of ancient India Kashyap . It was included in the empire of Ashoka Maurya who is credited with the foundation of the city of Srinagar around the year 250 BC. During this period Buddhism spread in Kashmir and flourished under the Kushans . During the reign of Kanishka , the third Buddhist council took place in Kashmir which has been attested by the 7th century Chinese traveler Hien Tsang. But Hinduism held its sway in the region. The 7th Century AD witnessed the establishment of a dynasty called the Karkota whose foundation stone was laid by Durlabhavarrdhana . The most famous ruler of this dynasty was Lalitaditya Muktapid who built the world famous sun temple ( Martand ) in Kashmir. The Karkotas were supplemented by the Utpalas in 855 AD. The most important ruler of this dynasty was Avanti- verman . He recovered Kashmir from utter political and economic disorder into which Kashmir had fallen during the rule of his predecessors. Didda , a Gupta widowed queen, ruled Kashmir until 1003 AD when the Lohara dynasty took over. The last Hindu ruler of Kashmir was Udyan Dev. His Chief Queen Kota Rani was the de-facto ruler of the kingdom. With her death in 1339 the Hindu rule in Kashmir came to an end and thus was established the Muslim rule in Kashmir under Sultan Shamas - ud -din-whose dynasty ruled the valley for 222 years.

6. The greatest ruler of this dynasty was undoubtedly Sultan Zain-ul-Abdin . Under his rule, Kashmir was culturally and politically at its zenith. He was essentially a man of secular out-look and patronized all faiths and religions alike. He made Kashmir the centre of a great culture and worked hard to promote learning and to build up the economy of the people. Badshah was not anxious for the expansion of his dominion but was equally reluctant to part with the territories which belonged to Kashmir and were of a strategic importance. The Chiefs of Ladakh and Baltistan who had acknowledged their allegiance to Shahab - ud -Din and Sikandar his predecessors had, however, declared themselves independent during the weak rule of Ali Shah. He, therefore, set out with his army and made a Bumlde IV, Raja of Ladakh , to recognize his sovereignty. The ruler of Baltistan also followed suit and surrendered. He next captured the town of Kulu which was till then in the possession of Ladakhis . After these achievements, Badhshah proceeded to subdue the ruler of Ohind who had also declared himself independent during the reign of Ali Shah. As before, the ruler of Ohind was defeated and agreed to acknowledge the sovereignty of the king of Kashmir. Badshah also exchanged embassies with various foreign countries. In particular, he deputed his envoys to Khurasan , Egypt, Mecca, Rukh , son of Timur , were most cordial. Budshah took a series of measures for development of Agriculture trade and Commerce. He constructed many irrigation canals. As a result of these works and the reclamation of vast areas, Kashmir became self-sufficient in food. According to Moorcroft, Kashmir produced as much as 5.50 lakh tons of rice per year during the time of Badshah . The Kingdom was annexed into the Mughal Empire in 1586.

7. In 1757 Kashmir came under the control of Ahmed Shah Durrani , the Afghan who invaded India many times.In 1819 Kashmir was annexed by Ranjit Singh and made a part of his Sikh empire. The two Anglo-Sikh wars fought between the Sikhs and Ranjit Singh resulted in the complete extinction of the Sikh sovereignty in Kashmir. The British gave away Kashmir to Ghulab Singh for the sum of 75 lakhs of rupees under the Treaty of Amritsar. He extended his territory by annexing Ladakh . Ghulab Singh died in 1857 and was replaced by Ranbir Singh (1857-1885). Two other Marajahs , Partab Singh (1885-1925) and Hari Singh ruled in succession. Maharaja Sir Hari Singh ascended the throne in 1925. He continued to govern the state till 1950. In 1932 Kashmir’s first political party-all Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference was formed by Sheikh Abdullah. The party was later renamed the National Conference in 1939 and continues to be a major political party in Kashmir today. After Indian Independence in 1947, the ruler of the princely state of Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh, refused to accede to either India or Pakistan. When Pakistan invaded Kashmir in the following year, the ruler of Kashmir sought help from the Indian government and agreed to place Kashmir under the dominion of India. In 1956 Kashmir was integrated into the Indian Union under a new Constitution. However, PoK Kashmir continued to be under illegal occupation of Pakistan. Kashmir was a tourist’s paradise during the 1970’s and early 1980’s. However tourism in Kashmir declined during the late 1980’s and 1990’s, due to disturbances. The situation has improved and it is hoped that peace will return to Kashmir-followed by tourists, who remember its beautiful parks, Rolling Meadows, spectacular mountains and scenic destinations with nostalgia.

8. Biodiversity of Jammu and Kashmir The  State of Jammu and Kashmir  has been regarded as a heaven on earth, and is also called the bio-mass state of India. The state is rich in the cultural diversity of the people, as well as diversity of flora and fauna in the forest areas, and domesticated species outside the forest. Plant diversity is the life support of almost all terrestrial eco-systems, with both humans and animals being entirely dependent on plants directly or indirectly. The state of Jammu and Kashmir has a fairly rich diversity of plant life, and on this the people depend for their daily needs of food, medicine, fuel, fibre , etc. the faunal component of the bio-diversity of the state is rich, with interesting and unique forms both in the forest zones and above the forest-line. The variety of animal forms ranges from higher groups like vertebrates, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and lower groups like invertebrates including insects and even unicellular micro-organisms . The flora of Himalayan Kashmir comprises about 3,054 species .

9. THE FLORA: FLORA (reported so far) Species (Genera / Family) Angiosperms : 4439 (1220 /120) Gymnosperms: 19 (8 / 4) Pteridophytes : 168 (54 /31) 550 species - medicinally important 55 species – aromatic 93 species including 23 medicinal plants- Threatened 58% (39% dicots & 19% monocots) - Endemic The flora of the Jammu district comprises 506 species. These figures include only the angiosperms, gymnosperms and pteridophytes . This area is a storehouse of medicinal and aromatic plants, which are used in pharmaceutical and perfume industries. The list includes 55 species of important medicinal and aromatic plants. There are 11 medicinal plants in the temperate, cold, arid regions of Jammu and Kashmir. Several medicinal plants grow wild in the temperate and alpine habitats. Some native medicinal plants have been taken up for cultivation, e.g. Dioscorea deltoidea is now cultivated for its tubers which are rich in diosgenin and yield cortisone, a steroid hormone .

10. The Fauna : The fauna of Jammu and Kashmir is diverse due to its unique location and climatic condition. About 16% of the Indian mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and butterflies are presented in the state. Birds contribute much to the chordate diversity following by mammals, reptiles, fishes and amphibians . The state is home to about  75 species of mammals , besides several sub-species, belonging to 54 genera, 21 families and 8 orders. The avian diversity of the state varies seasonally and available data suggests the existence of as many as  358 species of birds  belonging to 179 genera, 51 families under 16 orders. The state is home to  14 species of amphibians  belonging to 6 genera, 5 families and 1 order, and  68 species of reptiles  belonging to 43 genera, 12 families and 2 orders. The available data suggests that  44 species of fishes  belonging to 14 genera under 5 families occur in the state.

11. MANAGEMENT OF ECOSYSTEMS AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES FOREST ECOSYSTEMS: The conservation and sustainable development of forest ecosystems and their associated resources is essential for lasting poverty reduction and sustainable development.. The forest resources of Jammu and Kashmir are being subjected to overwhelming pressure from competing land-uses like agriculture, human settlement and development of infrastructure. In addition, extraction of forest products, logging, cutting trees for fuel wood and charcoal, and grazing of livestock have also contributed to the degradation of forests. These competing land uses have adverse environmental effects on long term sustainability of forest ecosystems .

12. WILDLIFE: The status of wildlife is an accurate index of the state of ecological resources, and thus of the natural resource base of human well-being. This is because of the interdependent nature of ecological entities (“the Web of Life”), in which wildlife is a vital link. Moreover, several charismatic species of wildlife embody “Incomparable Values”, and at the same time, comprise a major resource base for sustainable ecotourism.

13. FRESHWATER RESOURCES: Nature has bestowed the state with rich freshwater resources especially snow and glaciers. The state is mostly dependent on the water resources which have tremendous impact on statist socio economic development. The state is potential in its water resources as it is origin of major river systems of Indian sub-continent. Besides the state has 1247 fresh water bodies including internationally famous Dal , Wular , Pangong , Tsomoriri.The state is also rich in ground water potential.

14. River systems : There is a good network of river system in the state. The Jammu region is drained by river Chenab and Tawi , Kashmir valley by river Jhelum and its tributaries and ladakh region by river Indus, Zanaskar , Suru , Shyok tributaries. All these rivers find their resource mainly from snow and glacier melts runoff from upper Himalayan region. All these rivers are diminishing in annual discharge year after year due to retreat of glaciers and snow line because of increase in temperature and other ecological imbalances which have drastically affected the flow in these river basins. Decreasing discharge has resulted in intricate environmental implications in these river systems and has caused a number of societal concerns particularly with regard to hydroelectric projects, Irrigation network and drinking water.

15. JAMMU AND KASHMIR ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY FOREST ECOSYSTEMS : The National Forest Policy; 1988 and the Jammu & Kashmir Forest Act, as well as the regulations under it provide a comprehensive basis for forest conservation. The National Forest Commission set up in 2003, is reviewing the policy, legislative and institutional basis of forest management. Nevertheless, it is necessary, looking to some of the underlying causes of forest loss, to take some further steps . POLICY STATEMENTS: The Government will : 1. Formulate an innovative strategy for increase of forest and tree cover within and outside forest through afforestation of degraded forest land, wastelands, and tree cover on private or revenue lands with indigenous flora . 2. Develop and implement a strategy for rehabilitation and restoration of degraded forest ecosystems and water catchment areas . 3. Support effective implementation of the forest and other related policies and laws . 4 . Develop and implement national standards, principles and criteria of sustainable forest management

16. WILDLIFE Conservation of wildlife, accordingly, involves the protection of entire ecosystems . However, in several cases, delineation of and restricting access to such Protected Areas (PAs), as well as disturbance by humans on these areas has led to man-animal conflicts. Since wildlife does not remain confined to particular areas, there is also need to ensure greater protection, and habitat enhancement outside the PAs . POLICY STATEMENTS: The Government will: Protect , conserve, and improve the habitats, corridors, and dispersal areas of wildlife, especially endangered wildlife species. A special program for recovery of Hangul – the state animal will be made priority . Strengthen and support wildlife research and monitoring to generate adequate information for decision making Ensure that human activities on the fringe areas of PAs do not degrade the habitat or otherwise significantly disturb wildlife.

17. FRESHWATER RESOURCES POLICY STATEMENTS: The Government will : 1. Promote sustainable use of freshwater resources and the conservation of river and lake ecosystems through development and implementation of river basin management plans . 2. Protection of all fresh water resources from pollution of any kind, and diversions. 3 . Develop and implement integrated freshwater and wetland resources management strategies and action plans . 4. Basin-wise assessment of total quantity of fresh water available in the State and budgeting it for the demand for industry, agriculture, fisheries, household utilization, hospitals, hotels, recreation centres , and ecosystem functioning. 5 . Continuous monitoring of demand and supply of fresh water and regulation of water utilization for completion of hydrological cycles . 6. Remedial measures to be undertaken, if there is a shortfall of water in completing the hydrological cycle. The state is potential in its water resources as it is origin of major river systems of Indian sub-continent. Besides the state has 1247 fresh water bodies including internationally famous Dal , Wular , Pangong , Tsomoriri.The state is also rich in ground water potential

18. Conclusion:           The economy of Jammu and Kashmir is essentially based on bio-mass. With a rich biological diversity, and a people that are traditionally dependent on bio-mass based resources, it is easy enough to see that the subsistence requirements of the people for food grains, firewood, fodder, timber for housing, food, milk and medicines are derived from the plant and animal resources available in the state. The exports from Jammu and Kashmir, i.e. fresh and dry fruits, the famous saffron and honey, timber, resin, medicinal items, handicrafts, including artefacts carved from walnut wood, shawls, carpets, etc. are items obtained from the bio-mass produce of the state. Tourists who visit Jammu and Kashmir and contribute to the economy are attracted largely by the scenic natural beauty of the state with its mountain ranges, towering snow-clad peaks, placid sparking lakes, bubbling streams and springs.           However, the development of the country depends on the enhancement of bio-mass productivity through sustainable management of the natural resources that ensures that conservation of species, including the genetic variability within them, and eco-systems. As such, sustainable management of natural resources along with environmental conservation has to be an integral element of the development process. The natural resources of the state have, over the years, been subjected to serious depletion owing to various factors, stemming mostly from anthropogenic activities

19. As elsewhere in the country, both land and water resources in the state are beset with environmental problems. Deforestation, overgrazing, unsuitable agricultural practices, especially on sloping lands, strip the land of its natural cover/ vegetation, making the land vulnerable to soil erosion and loss of major soil nutrients. The adverse impact of such denudation and soil erosion in the Himalayan watershed/catchment areas is a matter of grave ecological concern. Management of land and water and environment in general is governed and facilitated by a set of policies/legislations that, if implemented properly and effectively, should support bio-diversity conservation and sustainable utilisation .