Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has urged engineers, scientists and academic institutions to harness the region’s vast biomass resources to develop cost-effective and environmentally sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels, Brighter Kashmir reported.
Addressing the inaugural session of the 41st National Convention of Chemical Engineers and a national seminar on “Biomass: A Sustainable Resource for Decarbonizing the Economy” at the Institution of Engineers (India) J&K State Centre, Abdullah said Jammu and Kashmir has significant potential to convert agricultural, horticultural, forest and municipal waste into useful energy.
The two-day event has been organised by the Chemical Engineering Division Board of the Institution of Engineers (India) in collaboration with the Department of Chemical Engineering, NIT Srinagar.
Abdullah said the need to reduce dependence on carbon-intensive energy sources has become more urgent amid rising energy-security concerns and the growing impact of climate change.
Referring to changes in the Himalayan ecosystem, he pointed to the retreat of glaciers as a warning about the environmental consequences of continued fossil-fuel consumption. He cited the visible changes at the Thajiwas glacier near Sonamarg as a reminder of the need for stronger climate action.
However, the Chief Minister stressed that decarbonisation should not simply involve replacing one energy source with another.
He called for solutions that are economically viable, environmentally sustainable and suited to the specific conditions of Jammu and Kashmir.
Abdullah said the region’s biomass resources, including agricultural and horticultural residues, forest waste and municipal waste, could provide an opportunity to develop locally relevant energy solutions while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
He urged the scientific and engineering community to focus on technologies that can convert these resources into useful energy and contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable economy.
