A 2025 study published in the Indian Journal of Pure & Applied Physics measured black carbon at four Kashmir locations during summer 2022. Average concentrations ranged from 3.77 µg/m³ at Pahalgam to 6.36 µg/m³ at Gulmarg, with Srinagar at 6.10 and Qazigund at 6.18. Fossil fuel combustion accounted for 81-94% of the black carbon, while biomass burning made up the rest. Earlier monitoring in Srinagar found much higher levels in winter, with November averaging 13.88 µg/m³ and December 13.4 µg/m³, linked to temperature inversions and stagnant air. Black carbon matters beyond local air quality because it absorbs sunlight and can accelerate snow and glacier melt when deposited on ice, a direct climate risk for Kashmir's water supply. The article notes that Jammu and Kashmir still lacks a district-wise black carbon emissions inventory, which makes it harder to target the main sources from transport, heating, biomass burning, and industry.
