SRINAGAR: A coalition of civil society organisations, environmental groups and community bodies on Wednesday welcomed the proposed eco-friendly housing rights legislation for traditional lakeside residents but urged the government to expand its scope to cover water-dependent communities across Jammu and Kashmir.
In a joint statement, the Jammu and Kashmir RTI Movement, Nature Conservancy Alliance (NCA), Forest Rights Coalition-J&K (FRC-J&K), Gujjar Bakerwal Foundation, Civil Society for Justice and Development (CSJD), Wular Fisherfolks Union, Indigenous Fisherfolks Foundation and Himalayan Pastoral Foundation said the proposed legislation should not be restricted to Dal Lake residents alone.
The groups said the proposed bill, reportedly being brought forward by National Conference MLA Tanvir Sadiq, offered an opportunity to balance housing rights with environmental protection and recognise traditional communities as stakeholders in conservation efforts.
They argued that the legislation should also cover communities living around Wular Lake, Hygam Wetland, the Jhelum river and other ecologically sensitive landscapes, while extending protection to fisherfolk, pastoral communities and other traditional water-dependent populations.
The organisations called for a clear legal definition of “traditional dwellers”, saying eligibility should not be determined solely through revenue records but should also consider historical occupation, customary use and traditional livelihoods.
The statement also sought the incorporation of an eco-friendly housing and conservation code in the proposed law, including safeguards against land-filling of lakes and wetlands, protection of natural water channels, wastewater management, flood resilience measures and environmental impact assessments for construction activities.
The groups further proposed incentives for communities participating in conservation activities, including wetland restoration, biodiversity protection and sustainable fishing practices.
They also demanded transparent implementation mechanisms, accountability provisions for authorities, time-bound decision-making and grievance redressal systems.
Expressing concern over the overlap between conservation and tourism functions, the organisations said ecological authorities should focus on environmental protection and restoration, while tourism-related activities should be managed through separate institutions based on scientific carrying-capacity assessments.
The coalition urged legislators representing Wular and Hygam areas to support the demands and called on the government to undertake wider stakeholder consultations involving residents, scientists, environmental experts, planners, legal experts and government agencies before finalising the legislation.
The groups said the proposed law could become a significant framework for balancing community rights and environmental conservation if drafted through a participatory and consultative process.
