GREEN GRAB | 4000 plus hectares of forest land in Kashmir lost to encroachment despite eviction drives

Srinagar, Dec 14: Over 4000 hectares of precious forest land across Kashmir have been under illegal encroachment over the past several years, despite the repeated attempts of the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department to retrieve the land under encroachment.

According to official statistics obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) by M M Shuja, the Kralpora area alone has witnessed encroachment on a massive scale.

Out of the total 59,938 hectares of forest land, approximately 465 hectares are currently under the illegal occupation of encroachers.

Around 373 hectares of forest land have been transferred to various government departments as well.

The authorities in the Forest Department say that the department has been actively conducting anti-encroachment drives to reclaim the illegally occupied land.

“However, a major portion of land is still under encroachment,” the official document reads. In the Langate division, a reported 25.34 hectares have been successfully retrieved. However, a staggering 521 hectares remain under the clutches of encroachers.

Similarly in the Baramulla division, the situation is equally grim, with 343 out of 418 demarcated hectares of forest land falling prey to encroachment.

The official document reads that 74.55 hectares have been retrieved and the rest of the encroached land will be retrieved in due course of time. The official statistics have revealed that Srinagar division has a total of 2791 hectares of demarcated forest land out of which encroachment has been done over 316 hectares.

“We carry regular eviction drives to reclaim the occupied land but a major portion is still under encroachment,” the official document reads.

In the Awantipora division, the encroachment extends to 133 hectares of the demarcated 1083.25 sq km, including 273.25 sq km under wildlife protection.

Meanwhile, Anantnag district has witnessed encroachment over 1535 hectares of the demarcated 82829-hectare forest land.

The J&K Forest Department has claimed that repeated notices have been issued besides carrying eviction drives. But the relentless encroachment continues to pose a threat to Kashmir's fragile ecosystem.

“The rampant encroachment of the forest land not only jeopardises biodiversity but also raises concerns about the long-term environmental impact on the region,” an official said.

He said that the government has taken several steps to retrieve the land but given the present situation, there was a need to take strict measures and chalk out a comprehensive strategy to put a check on this menace.