Where is land to buy in Kashmir?

Srinagar: Perched amidst the snow-sprinkled Himalayan mountain chain under the emerald blue skies, each corner of this Valley is filled with natural wonders. The tall Chinar trees that turn the Valley yellow and red as autumn arrives, the gushing rivers and the verdant meadows — only add to its beauty.

Post-scrapping of Article 370 and Article 35A, buying a land in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the picturesque valley, is something that has caught the fancy of many and the fake Whatsapp forwards offering lands at prime locations in and around Srinagar at dirt cheap rates, has triggered unending debates among various sections of people over owning a piece of land in “the heaven on earth”.

But is there enough land in the valley for people to buy?

Thousands of hectares of land and several dozens of buildings that have been occupied by the Indian Army and other paramilitary forces across the Kashmir Valley since dec-ades — are likely to rema-in under the control of the security forces, easily for the next five years or may be even more as the Centre is in no mood to withdraw forces anytime now. On the contrary, the presence of forces and their logistics is likely to go up which means that forces might occupy more lands and buildings in the future.

Presently, over 9.50 lakh security forces are guarding every inch of Jammu and Kashmir — one of the most heavily militarised zone in the world.

According to the figures available with the Jammu and Kashmir administration, close to 21,500 hectares of land is under the occupation of the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. Of this, nearly 18,900 hectares is in the Kashmir division alone, which also includes Ladakh. In Jammu division, the extent of land under occupation of security forces is around 2,555 hectares.

“This is in addition to the thousands of hectares of land which has been either acquired or leased by the security forces. Besides, several dozens of buildings, which earlier used to be hotels or other government complexes, have also been taken over by them. Going by the situation in the Valley and the assessment of ground situation in the near future, there is no question of forces vacating the lands or buildings,” a senior Government functionary told this newspaper.

Breaking down the figures further, the official said that in Ladakh region alone, close to 12,950 hectares of land is under the occupation of security forces while in Kashmir, the figure stood at 5,910 hectares of which 3,450 hectares is spread across Baramulla, Bandipora and Shopian among other places. In Kargil alone, about 5,745 hectares of land is under the control of the forces. ‘’Across Jammu and Kashmir, it is only the Kishtwar district where forces do not have any land under their occupation,’’ the official said.

Over 10,000 hectares of land has been transferred by the state government to the Army and para-military forces like the CRPF and BSF besides RR. ‘’Forces have set up their camps and installations across north, south and central Kashmir,’’ he said.

‘’Most of the places in the valley have been decla-red eco-sensitive which means that no construction will be allowed there. When it comes to forest areas in the valley, key industries are dependent on forests. The thick forests of Kashmir provide the raw material for several industries,’’ another official explained. While the wood of Poplar an willow trees is used for making cricket bats, the walnut trees that grow in abundance is suitable for wood carving. The pulp required to make hand made paper and card boards also comes from the forests. “Besides all this, there are mountainous areas which are fragile. Considering all these aspects, one wonders as to the extent of land available in Kashmir valley. Security forces are here to stay and the large chunks of lands will continue to be under their control,” another official said.