Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, June 6

The University of Kashmir (KU) marked World Environment Day 2026 with a series of academic, outreach and environmental initiatives over the past three days, bringing together policymakers, academics, students and environmental experts to promote sustainability, climate action and ecological responsibility.

As part of the celebrations, a Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhisthan Bill, 2025, visited the university during its stakeholder consultations on higher education reforms, a statement of the KU issued here said.

Committee members participated in a plantation drive organised on the campus and visited the University Botanical Garden. They also interacted with Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nilofer Khan, senior university officials and faculty members on issues related to higher education.

The university organised a range of activities, including a walkathon, plantation drive, expert lectures, a painting exhibition and environmental awareness programmes.

Addressing participants at various events, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nilofer Khan stressed the importance of collective efforts to tackle environmental challenges and highlighted the role of universities in fostering ecological awareness, sustainable practices and informed public engagement on climate issues.

The main World Environment Day programme was organised by the Eco Club of the Department of Students Welfare in collaboration with the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences. The event featured a walkathon, plantation drive, expert lecture and painting exhibition aimed at encouraging environmental awareness and youth participation in conservation efforts.

Students from Kashmir University Model High School also took part in the celebrations, presenting artworks focused on environmental protection.

The walkathon was flagged off by Khan in the presence of Registrar Prof Naseer Iqbal, Dean Students Welfare Prof. Seema Singh, Dean School of Earth and Environmental Sciences Prof Parvez Ahmad, faculty members, students and guests.

Prof Seema Singh said such activities provide students with meaningful opportunities to express their commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development.

Prof Parvez Ahmad highlighted the need for greater public participation in addressing environmental degradation and climate change, noting that Jammu and Kashmir’s ecologically fragile landscape requires sustained conservation efforts and responsible resource management.

Separately, the Department of Environmental Science organised a two-day outreach programme in collaboration with Government Degree College DH Pora, Kulgam, and JAKNAP Projects Pvt Ltd.

The programme included hands-on training sessions, practical demonstrations and awareness activities focused on environmental monitoring and resource management.

Participants also visited the Sewage Treatment Plant at Mehandi Kadal in Anantnag to gain practical exposure to wastewater treatment and environmental management practices.

Speakers at the outreach programme, including Principal GDC DH Pora Prof Abdul Salam Dar, Head of the Department of Environmental Science Samiullah Bhat and Director South Campus Prof. Waseem Bari, emphasised the importance of strengthening environmental education and community engagement.

Meanwhile, the Department of English, in collaboration with the Ecosophical Foundation for the Study of Literature and Environment (EFSLE), organised a two-day international conference titled ‘Climate Action, Sustainability and Literature: The Ecosophical Proximity in the Contemporary Anthropocentric Epoch’.

The conference explored links between literature, sustainability and environmental thought, while promoting interdisciplinary dialogue on climate change and ecological responsibility.