Save J&K’s forests, our green gold

Eco-Watch

Arif Shafi Wani

arifscribe@gmail.com

It is shocking that 3.86 lakh kanals of forest land has been encroached upon in Jammu and Kashmir. Amid climate change, the encroachment of forests and construction activities will be detrimental for the eco-fragile environment of J&K. Damage to forests is going to serve a death blow to our ecosystem and severely affect ecological balance.

The shocking reply by the Forest Department to the Right to Information (RTI) application by noted environmental activist M M Shuja points towards the failure of authorities to safeguard our forests. The department admits that 3.86 lakh kanals of forest land in J&K has been encroached upon. Besides, more than 82,000 kanals of forest cover has disappeared since 2001. This clearly means unscrupulous persons are having a free run to encroach upon forests and vandalize this natural asset.

J&K has a forest cover of 21,387 square kilometres and a tree cover of 2,867 square kilometers respectively. As per the Global Forest Watch (GFW) an online platform that provides data and tools for monitoring forests, In 2010, J&K had 660 kha of natural forest, extending over 8.3% of its land area. In 2023, it lost 51 ha of natural forest, equivalent to 57.7 kt of CO₂ emissions. From 2001 to 2023, J&K lost 4.19 kha of tree cover, equivalent to a 0.39% decrease in tree cover since 2000, and 1.98 Mt of CO₂e emissions.From 2013 to 2023, 76% of tree cover loss in the union territory occurred within natural forest. The total loss within natural forest was equivalent to 173 kt of CO₂e emissions.

As per GFW, J&K’s five districts Rajouri, Kathua, Udhampur, Doda and Reasi were responsible for 53% of all tree cover loss between 2001 and 2023. Rajouri had the most tree cover loss at 526 ha compared to an average of 199 ha. From 2001 to 2023, J&K lost 4.19 kha of relative tree cover, equivalent to a 0.39% decrease since 2000 and 0.18% of all tree cover loss in India.

Looking beyond statistics, vandalisation of forests is evident. Each stump of axed trees in forests symbolises official apathy and public greed! In absence of monitoring by authorities, timber smugglers have been using forest fires to camouflage felling of trees. There has been a spike in forest fires across J&K in the last several years.

What adds insult to injury is construction of roads and other infrastructure projects in the name of development! We need to understand that we cannot compensate for the loss of even a tree! We are already facing disastrous effects of vandalisation of forests in the form of frequent landslides and land sinking. With wanton felling of trees, we have put precious human lives at stake.

As damage to forests was not enough, more than 1 lakh trees of Apple, Chinar, Walnut, Mulberry have been chopped down to pave way for construction of Srinagar Ring Road. It is horrible to see more than 6000 trees felled wantonly in 2015 for setting up 1,115 pylons and 1,200 towers inside forests to lay a 414-km line via Mughal road, between Shopian and Poonch. The project was approved by the then cabinet.

Forests again were vandalised officially during construction of 220-kV Alastang-Leh transmission line. The 320 km long transmission line was designed to connect Ladakh to the northern grid to improve the availability of power in Leh and Kargil. For the project, the erstwhile state government handed over 150 hectares of forest land including areas of Sindh Forest Division in Sonamarg to the Power Grid Corporation of India. More than 14,600 lush green and towering conifers in the Daruder forest belt were razed to the ground!

It is imperative to conduct Environmental Impact Assessment before undertaking any project especially in eco-fragile areas. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is a nature lover, has been calling for environmental protection. Omar, while inaugurating Van Mahotsav 2025, called for stopping environmental deforestation. Omar maintained that genuine afforestation efforts are required to produce results that matter, not just statistics. Omar rightly said, “development is a need, but it should be judicious. There must be a balance, development carried out with sincere concern for the environment. For every tree uprooted, a hundred must be planted.”

But Omar’s vision for forests must be translated on the ground. Forest Protection Force has been struggling to perform their duties given mammoth jurisdiction due to forest spread across J&K. In this scenario, the government can additionally entrust protection of forests to people living in its vicinity. Also there are hi-tech technologies like drones, CCTV cameras to ensure real time surveillance of forests. A command centre must ensure round the clock monitoring of activities in forests.

Disturbance in forests is forcing wild animals to stray into human habitations. There has been a rise in cases of human-animal conflict. Flora and fauna in forests form habitat of wild animals and when construction activities and felling of trees is carried out in forests, these animals take refuge in lower areas. Government must take full benefit of centrally sponsored schemes for forest conservation National Mission for a Green India (GIM), Development of Wildlife Habitats Scheme, Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) scheme, and Nagar Van Yojana.

It is imperative to take scientific measures for forest conservation. We have to move beyond plantation drives and make efforts to save existing trees in forests. Government needs to take strict action against those who damage forests. It needs collective efforts by the Government and people to safeguard forests and enhance green cover. Let’s join hands to make J&K greener!

 Author is Executive Editor,

Greater Kashmir.