Conversion of agricultural land into concrete jungles (commercial and residential complexes) is going on unabated and that the revenue and civic authorities seen only being silent spectators to all this. Carrying out constructions on the agricultural lands would simply not be possible without active complicity and tacit support of the concerned agencies. Kashmir Valley which is already dependant on other states for the supply of food wouldn’t have lost as much of land to non-farming ventures if the concerned authorities had followed law and ensured its implementation on the ground. But it didn’t happen. Though turbulent political situation was also a factor as enforcing the rule of law was a tricky business for over a decade or so, but it is also a reality that the damage that has been done didn’t happen during the turbulent nineties alone. It started before that and is continuing even today when government claims it have re-established its writ.
Kashmir has the unique distinction of being a place where government itself initiated this trend of land conversion when it established housing colonies in arable agrarian lands and natural wetlands and flood basins. The disastrous repercussions of that foolish policy showed itself in worst form during the floods of September 2014 when the colonies that have come up in these flood-basins remained dangerously inundated for weeks. So when government itself is culpable of subverting laws and norms, for the ordinary people it is a virtual go-head to do everything and anything that pleases them, laws, rules and norms notwithstanding.
Now coming to the constructions, and the way they are being carried out here, one could say with absolute surety that Valley must be looking like the bottom of an ocean – where everything is just lying around in absolute madness and without any order whatsoever. And now commercial complexes and shopping malls are also spreading like small-pox on it.
The shrinking of agricultural land is going to have disastrous impact on the lives of people of the Valley. While the present LG administration has been prioritising the agriculture and allied sectors, it needs to have close eye on conversion of agricultural land. True that with the ever-increasing population people need more dwellings but the government should, or may be it has, a solid policy regarding the conversion of agricultural land and should implement it on the ground. Peoples’ needs should be taken care of and while doing so, it should be ensured that there is no random conversion of agricultural land so that in coming years Kashmir doesn’t face food scarcity.