KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
The Jammu and Kashmir Government was on Thursday suggested to follow the “Bhutan Model” in transport sector.
Participating in debate over grants to Transport Sector, Bandipora’s government gunman turned Lawmaker, Usman Majeed, said, “Bhutan is the only nation which has ensured zero percent carbon emission.”
He alleged that people in Kashmir get their “vehicles passed by paying bribe”. “Look at what Bhutan has done,” he told the house, “they taken care of environment by lessening use of carbon emissioning vehicles.”
Notably, the conserved Himalyan nation of Bhutan is very reserved about its green cover. Unlike other South Asian nations, Bhutan is the only country where forest cover has increased.
In association with Nissan, Bhutan uses electric cars across the isolated mountain kingdom. It envisages the capital, Thimphu, as a “clean electric” city in which transportation for its 100,000 citizens is powered by clean energy.
Interestingly, Bhutan generates sufficient hydro-electricity and exports the power to neighbouring countries, but imports fossil fuels to run its vehicle fleet.
Observing that as how European countries have utilised the water bodies, Majeed said, “why can’t we invest in water transport as has been done by the Europe.”
Earlier, Ganderbal lawmaker, Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar, demanded restoration of SRTC bus service from Batwina to Srinagar via Ganderbal and Soura. He said that the bus service lasted only for two months when it was started last year.
Pahalgam’s NC lawmaker, Altaf Kaloo, revealed how SRTC bus drivers/conductors sell, in black, diesel and use kerosene in their vehicles. “First it is liable and such erring employees need to be penalised,” he told the house, “plus, kerosene increases the carbon content in air.”
Further he appealed government to start water transport from Islamabad to Baramulla and Srinagar to Ganderbal in Jhelum. “Traffic cops can’t be blamed,” he said, “there is huge increase in number of vehicles. So it is better to utilise alternative sources.”
