Potohar Is Dying Under Concrete
Raziq Bhatti
Islamabad: If we look back just two or three decades, the rhythm of nature in our region was entirely different. Spring would begin in early February, trees and plants would blossom naturally, summer would arrive by April, and winter would set in around September.
Today, however, the seasonal cycle has shifted by almost one and a half months. Spring now starts around mid-March, while intense summer heat does not fully arrive until mid-May. This visible disruption in seasonal patterns is a clear sign that climate and environmental changes are no longer distant warnings, they are now part of our daily lives.
While global climate change is influenced by natural processes, human activity has become one of its most destructive drivers. The disturbance of the earth’s natural system through unplanned urbanization, land erosion, deforestation, and reckless construction has deeply damaged the environment, particularly in the Potohar region.
Traditionally, Potohar was known for its rugged hills, fertile lands, flowing streams, natural springs, forests, herbs, wildlife, and fresh air. It was an environmentally balanced and self-sustaining ecosystem.
The landscapes of spring, green fields, berry trees, wild mulberries, figs, banyan trees, and keekar forests were not merely scenic beauty, they were essential for maintaining oxygen levels, regulating temperature, preserving biodiversity, and sustaining ecological balance.
Read More: https://thepenpk.com/power-politics-and-artificial-intelligence/
The natural structure of the land itself played a scientific role in climate regulation. During hot weather, warm air would rise through cracked soil and tree cover, allowing cooler air to circulate naturally and create a refreshing atmosphere.
Rainwater would spread across fields, streams, and open land instead of rushing into drains, helping groundwater recharge and maintaining soil moisture. As a result, the weather remained comparatively cool and balanced.
Unfortunately, this entire ecological system has been disrupted due to poor planning, institutional negligence, and the unchecked commercialization of fertile land. Agricultural fields across Potohar, and much of Pakistan, are rapidly disappearing under housing societies, commercial plazas, wedding halls, roads, and markets. Areas that once produced crops and supported biodiversity are now covered with concrete.
At the same time, industrial expansion and the excessive use of vehicles and cooling systems are worsening air pollution. Hundreds of thousands of vehicles enter and leave Islamabad daily, releasing harmful emissions into the atmosphere.
Air conditioners, industrial chillers, and fuel consumption are increasing toxic gases while oxygen-producing green spaces continue to vanish.
Read More: https://thepenpk.com/a-heated-planet-an-unequal-burden/
Even more alarming is the destruction of the earth’s natural surface. Rough landscapes, forests, and open fields have been flattened to make way for roads and commercial projects.
Rainwater no longer seeps naturally into the soil; instead, it quickly disappears into sewage drains. Groundwater levels are declining, temperatures are rising, and streams that once carried clean water are turning into polluted channels.
The consequences are visible everywhere. The green parrots that once filled Potohar’s skies are disappearing.
Berry trees and peanut fields are becoming rare. In the past, traveling from Rawalpindi through Rawat, Gujar Khan, Jhelum, and onward toward Lahore meant witnessing streams, forests, mustard fields, maize, rice crops, and sugarcane farms. Today, the same route is increasingly dominated by commercial markets, concrete structures, and endless housing schemes.
Read More: https://thepenpk.com/is-kashmirs-future-a-fait-accompli/
The condition of rivers further reflects this environmental decline. The Soan River and the Ravi River, once sources of clean water and fish, are now heavily polluted with sewage and industrial waste.
Wherever new highways are built in the name of development, housing schemes immediately follow, consuming fertile land at an alarming pace. Vast stretches along Fateh Jang Road, Peshawar Road, Chak Beli Khan Road, and routes connecting Rawat to the motorway have already been overtaken by commercial expansion.
The situation may worsen further with the expansion of the Ring Road toward Chakwal. Without strict land-use policies and environmental planning, the distinction between Rawalpindi and Chakwal could eventually disappear under uncontrolled urban sprawl.
Similarly, if unchecked commercial development continues along the highway connecting Lillah Motorway to Jhelum GT Road, forests, mountain ranges, and research areas in the region could face irreversible destruction.
Development is necessary for economic growth, but development without environmental planning becomes destruction. Pakistan cannot afford to sacrifice its fertile land, forests, rivers, and ecological balance for short-term commercial gains.
If immediate policies are not introduced to protect agricultural land, regulate housing schemes, preserve water systems, and restore green spaces, future generations may inherit cities of concrete but lose the natural environment essential for life itself.
More details will follow in the next column.
