SRINAGAR, despite environmental experts’ cautions, the Modi administration has completed a motorable road to the Hindu Amarnath Cave in the Islamabad district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), raising serious concerns over the impact on the region’s delicate environmental balance.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the Indian Border Roads Organisation (BRO) finished the road construction project by expanding the pathway from Dumail to the Amarnath cave, traversing through Baltal base camp in the Ganderbal district. The project culminated with BRO vehicles reportedly reaching the cave, which is situated at an elevation of 13,000 feet in the southern Kashmir Himalayas.

The road’s construction has been met with disapproval from environmental experts, who argue that the new route will negatively affect the area’s already sensitive ecology.

There have been ongoing issues highlighted by environmentalists regarding the annual pilgrimage of lakhs of Hindus to the Amarnath Cave, pointing to it as a primary cause for the degradation of the region’s environmental health, including glacial melting, floods, and disease outbreaks.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Mehbooba Mufti, has been vocally critical of the development. PDP spokesperson Mohit Bhan has labeled the road construction as a grave transgression against Hindu faith and an open invitation to environmental disaster in Kashmir, suggesting that the move may convert sacred sites into casual tourist attractions for political benefit.

Members of the Kashmiri Pandit community have also voiced their unease. Author Rahul Pandita described the initiative as disastrous, advocating for a cessation of the project on social media. He highlighted the immense strain the cave is already under and the negative implications of further development.

Another Kashmiri Pandit, Tapesh Kaul, shared his dismay, noting the transformation of spiritual sites into mere tourist destinations and concrete jungles. He lamented the gradual loss of the religious sanctity of these shrines.

The region’s environment has suffered significantly due to the heavy military presence, leading to a decline in the health of the ecosystem and damage to the picturesque landscape of IIOJK.