Kashmir’s air is a public health resource, not a luxury, yet it is being systematically destroyed. Illegal stone crushers and brick kilns operate openly across the Valley, many within kilometres of Srinagar’s schools and hospitals. Grey dust settles on Budgam; black smoke haunts Pulwama. Each winter, respiratory wards at SMHS fill with children whose lungs bear the cost of illicit revenue. The mandate of the J&K Pollution Control Board is clear, yet the gap between regulation and reality persists through selective enforcement. This month, the Board must publish a verified district-wise inventory of every operating crusher and kiln: licensed, pending, or illegal. Transparency invites scrutiny. The SMC and district administrations must conduct systematic sweeps targeting the worst violations first. Clean air is an oxygen debt owed to every child walking through dust clouds. The Board knows which operations violate the law. Publish the lists. Enforce the law. Srinagar cannot afford another season of avoidable suffocation.
