Srinagar: Farmers and activists in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir have voiced significant opposition to the authorities’ proposal to construct satellite colonies along the Ring Road, citing concerns over the potential further loss of valuable agricultural land.

According to Kashmir Media Service, those already impacted by the ongoing Ring Road project fear that the addition of satellite colonies could devastate their means of subsistence. Farmers have reported substantial losses due to current road and highway expansions, with one farmer from Chadoora expressing anxiety about his family’s livelihood being jeopardized following the loss of half of his land during the project’s construction.

Dr. Raja Muzaffar Butt, a social activist well-versed in land acquisition matters within the region, highlighted the extensive land loss resulting from such projects. He pointed out that the Srinagar Semi Ring Road Project alone had appropriated thousands of kanals of fertile and irrigated land. He noted that in Budgam district, over 5,000 kanals were acquired with compensation not aligning with the Right to Fair Compensation Act, only invoked after the revocation of Article 370. In Wathoora, Chadoora, land was acquired at Rs 45 lakhs per kanal, despite market rates exceeding Rs 1 crore in 2021.

Dr. Butt warned that the continued conversion of agricultural land for developments like satellite townships poses a grave threat to the region’s agrarian future, projecting a potential loss of agricultural land by 2035. He further criticized the current allocation of green spaces, citing a stark contrast to the Master Plan’s requirement of 20%, with the present allocation standing at only 2%.