There is a way to Pahalgam
The proposal to construct a new highway and railway line between Bijbehara and Pahalgam raises serious concerns regarding necessity, environmental sustainability, and socio-economic justice, especially when adequate road connectivity already exists.
At present, two functional roads—K.P.Road and the Zirpora–Pahalgam Road—connect Anantnag to Pahalgam. While these routes may require upgradation, widening, and better maintenance, their existence fundamentally questions the need for an entirely new corridor, particularly one that cuts through orchards and fertile agricultural land. These projects would directly affect small and marginal farmers, whose livelihoods depend heavily on apple orchards, horticulture, and agriculture. Land acquisition in this region is not merely a transfer of property but a loss of generational economic security, cultural attachment, and social stability. Compensation mechanisms often fail to account for long-term income loss, especially in horticulture-based economies.
The environmental costs are equally significant. Orchard belts act as carbon sinks, protect soil stability, and maintain the fragile ecology of the Lidder Valley. Large-scale construction would lead to deforestation and loss of biodiversity, soil erosion and increased flood vulnerability, disturbance to river systems and wildlife corridors. Such impacts contradict principles of sustainable development, particularly in an ecologically sensitive Himalayan region.
I have received several delegations of deeply distressed farmers who are gripped by fear and uncertainty over the proposed highway and railway lines. For many of them, the project threatens not only their orchards and agricultural land—their sole source of livelihood—but also the very roofs over their heads, with reports of possible dismantling of homes. The anxiety is particularly acute among women, who spoke of helplessness and insecurity in the face of forced displacement and an uncertain future. Their voices reflect not resistance to development, but a desperate plea to be heard, consulted, and protected from a process that appears to overlook the human cost behind large infrastructure plans.
There are several villages that face an existential threat and are likely to be erased from the map as a consequence of the proposed construction of railway stations. It is important to recall that the historic land reforms in Jammu and Kashmir resulted in the distribution of land in relatively small and near-equal holdings, a process that played a transformative role in emancipating large sections of the population from subsistence living and chronic poverty over the past seven decades.
In such a context, the acquisition of land in remote and agrarian areas, where land remains the sole means of livelihood, would be particularly devastating. The loss of this primary source of sustenance, especially against the backdrop of rising youth unemployment and persistent inflationary pressures, is likely to produce severe socio-economic consequences with long-term implications for social stability and rural livelihoods.
The justification for a railway line up to Pahalgam—primarily a seasonal tourist destination—also demands scrutiny. High construction costs, low year-round passenger volume, and environmental risks raise doubts about its economic viability when compared to improving existing transport infrastructure.
A viable alternative, if needed
If a new road is genuinely required for strategic or tourism-related reasons, a more rational and less disruptive alternative exists. That could involve aligning the road along the old Maharaja Road along the banks of the River Lidder. This route minimizes displacement of farmers, avoids prime agricultural land, follows historical pathways already adapted to the terrain and reduces environmental damage.
Infrastructure development should be guided by need, proportionality, and sustainability, not redundancy. Rather than creating a new highway and railway through productive agricultural land, strengthening existing roads and adopting environmentally sensitive alignments would better serve public interest, protect livelihoods, and preserve the fragile ecology of South Kashmir.
Dr S Bashir Ahmad Veeri is a serving legislator from the area under railway and highway surveys. The opinion purely reflects the views of the majority of the people effected by the proposals.
