Farmers Protest Srinagar Ring Road Townships Over Land Loss

SRINAGAR: A delegation of farmers and activists met with the Chief Minister’s Political Advisor on Monday to voice their concerns over the government’s plans to establish satellite townships around the Srinagar Ring Road project, spanning Pampore to Narbal. The meeting took place at the Chief Minister’s grievance redressal and outreach office, Raabta.

Led by Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat, Ghulam Ahmad Paul, Ali Mohammad Wani, Muzaffar Hussain, and others, the delegation highlighted the adverse impact of further land acquisition on farming families, their livelihoods, and the region’s environment and ecology.

India, in blatant disregard of international legal frameworks, has devised a scheme to establish colonies for outsiders through the construction of the Srinagar Ring Road, thereby depriving Kashmiris of their vital agricultural lands.

Such unilateral actions by the Indian government jeopardize the region’s agricultural viability and sustainability. It is pertinent to highlight that over 5,000 kanals of prime agricultural land were seized in the Budgam district for the Srinagar Semi Ring Road Project, with compensation provided at grossly inadequate levels.

The farmers emphasised that they are still grappling with the aftermath of the initial land acquisition by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the Srinagar Semi Ring Road project. Large tracts of agricultural land were taken for the construction of the road from Pampore Galandar to Narbal, with many farmers claiming they were not adequately compensated.

Despite the applicability of the Right to Fair Compensation Act post the revocation of Article 370, farmers received compensation that was significantly below the prevailing market rate – Rs 45 lakhs per kanal, as opposed to the fair market value of over Rs 1 crore.

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The Master Plan for Srinagar, which mandates the preservation of 20% green spaces for environmental protection, has been egregiously disregarded, leaving a mere 2% allocated solely for the benefit of non-local citizens. The ongoing and proposed infrastructure projects are systematically encroaching upon both agricultural and green spaces, posing an existential threat to the delicate ecosystem.

In a memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister through the Raabta office, the delegation expressed outrage over subsequent notifications issued by the Divisional Commissioner’s office in 2022 and a recent order by the Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board (No: HB/CLA/130-38 Dated October 9, 2024). These directives propose the establishment of satellite colonies and townships in Pampore, Chadoora, and Budgam tehsils, further threatening agricultural land and natural resources like rivers, streams, and karewas.

“Our remaining land will be taken away by the Housing Board, leaving us landless. This is unacceptable, especially as Kashmir Valley already has the lowest agricultural landholding in India, with an average of less than four kanals,” the memorandum stated.

Analysts warn that, at the current rate of land loss, Kashmir could face a future of widespread landlessness by 2035. Farmers and activists have continually voiced alarm over the devastating impact of relentless land acquisitions, which threaten the very fabric of local livelihoods and environmental balance.

The region of Kashmir, already grappling with the highest unemployment rates in India, is witnessing a deliberate economic strangulation, reinforcing suspicions that these measures are part of a larger scheme of colonialization through economic manipulation. There is a pervasive fear among the local population that the remaining agricultural lands will be confiscated by the Housing Board, further exacerbating the threat of landlessness for the indigenous Kashmiris.

The farmers urged the government to cancel the aforementioned notifications, arguing that preserving Kashmir’s limited agricultural land is critical for both livelihoods and environmental sustainability.

The Chief Minister’s Political Advisor assured the delegation that their grievances would be conveyed to the appropriate authorities, and the matter would be reviewed in detail.

The entire initiative, in accordance with the UNs’ mandates, stands as both invalid and illegal, as it seeks to alter the demographic composition of the occupied territory in direct contravention of international law.

This news is sourced from Kashmir Life and is intended for informational purposes only.