The sacred Amarnath ice lingam, a natural stalagmite formation venerated by millions of Hindu devotees as a symbol of Lord Shiva, has melted prematurely once again raising urgent questions about the ecological toll of unchecked tourism, road expansion, and climate change in the fragile Himalayas.
This year, the lingam had already melted by over 50% before the annual yatra began on July 3, and by mid-July, 95% of over 2.5 lakh pilgrims had to return without a glimpse of the sacred structure.
Veteran Kashmir-based journalist Ashraf Wani, who has reported on the yatra for three decades, called the scene at the shrine “the most disheartening in recent memory.” Comparing visuals from 1998 and 2025, Wani said, “What was once a snow-filled spiritual journey is now a dusty, degraded trail overwhelmed by plastic, tents, and motor traffic.”
Located at 3,880 metres in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, the Amarnath cave has seen its climate shift rapidly. Just a decade ago, snow blanketed the area even in July. Now, environmental degradation has overtaken tradition, with the lingam melting earlier every year for the past five years.
Experts Demand Environmental Compliance
Climate expert Mutahara Deva, formerly with the Jammu & Kashmir Pollution Control Board, slammed the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) for violating India’s key environmental laws. “There’s no Environmental Management Plan, no Impact Assessment. This violates the Environment Protection Act, Water Act, Air Act, and Solid Waste Rules,” she warned.
Deva noted that trekking trails have been turned into 12-foot-wide roads, inviting dust, vehicular pressure, and flash flood risks during the monsoon. “The government must act now glaciers, sacred sites, and biodiversity are all at stake.”
Ecological Toll: Plastic Waste, Vanishing Herbs
Environmentalists have long flagged unregulated tourism and plastic pollution as critical threats. Former University of Kashmir professor G.A. Bhat, who submitted waste management proposals to the Shrine Board in 2005, said they were never implemented.
O.P. Sharma, former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, highlighted the loss of rare Himalayan plants like Pleurospermum and Wintergreen.
Helicopters, Roads, Crowds — A Fragile System Overwhelmed
The once-quiet spiritual trek is now dominated by heavy troop deployment, noisy helicopters, plastic waste, and long convoys of pilgrims. In just 20 days, over 3.3 lakh pilgrims visited the site an unsustainable load for one of the world most sensitive mountain ecosystems.
Scientists and environmentalists are now calling for:
•A shorter yatra duration
•Strict caps on pilgrim numbers
•Restoration of natural walking trails
•A total plastic ban and pollution control
•Legal accountability for the SASB under national environment laws
As the sacred ice disappears year after year, many are left asking can faith endure without nature, and can pilgrimage evolve to protect what’s left of the Himalayas?