Illegal constructions on shrinking agricultural land

Again, the role of State Revenue Department is under conjectures. Their silence loaded with suspicious suspense is astonishing in respect of numerous instances and of continuous nature of converting fertile and productive agricultural lands into unauthorised and illegal uses for construction of buildings, residential houses, factories , shops and other purposes. It is not confined to some particular areas but the blatant misuse lands at nothing short of vandalizing and ravaging our already shrinking agricultural lands . A look at such a phenomenon right along Srinagar -Leh Highway in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, from Qazigund right up to Pampore and touching outskirts of Srinagar is really shockingas to how lush green agricultural lands have been punctuated with concrete structures.
The State Administration, especially the Revenue authorities are not bothered at all and thus are allowing erection of such structures both residential and commercial in flagrant violation of the existing laws. They are not bothered that not only are such structures shrinking and ravaging such lands and causing fall in agricultural produce but are contributing to other allied problems. In the heart of Srinagar itself, between Nishat and Dalgate the entire area known as Braeen which had lush green paddy fields at the foothills on the right and the Dal lake on the left while going towards Nishat, has completely been converted into a residential colony known as Vakil Colony. Not a single piece of agricultural land is left now in that area.
The list of such instances would be too long to be described which is indicative of what direction our agricultural activities and the sector in itself is taking and this all in itself is a testimony of how green productive and good quality agricultural lands under “AabiAwal” or Grade 1 irrigated lands, are fast disappearing in the race of having residential buildings. Violators of the existing laws and the authorities for “considerations” keeping mum and thus allowing such conversion of agricultural lands are ignorant of the long term deleterious consequences of such ravaging about which each one of us must feel concerned and the Government must put a halt to such a dangerous trend now without any ado.

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