Shopian proposed railway line: will take people into confidence before approval, says official

March 14, 2024 by News Desk

Days after protests hit Shopian against the proposed railway line through apple orchards, the District Magistrate of Shopian stated that the opinions of the people will be carefully considered before any final decision is made.

Faz Lul Haseeb said that concerns raised by locals in the Zainapora area regarding the railway line marking process are being addressed.

He said, “Various apprehensions and misconceptions among the people and emphasized that the administration will actively engage with residents to ensure their concerns are addressed before approving the railway line.”

He added that revenue officials have been tasked with preparing a comprehensive report on the matter.

Pertinently, the railway ministry of India recently approved five railway lines cutting through the heart of the Kashmir valley. These projects include a project from Awantipora-Shopian.

The approval of this project has sparked massive protests among residents of the south Kashmir’s Shopian district.

The Kashmiriyat reported exclusively on the protests. The locals said that the proposed railway line runs through hundreds of orchards, the sole source of livelihood to the resident.

Rejecting the idea of any compensation the locals added, “we do not seek any compensation because this will impact the economy of the region and the land produces for us, like it has for our past generations and will for our future ones.”

Building railway lines through
Kashmir without taking into consideration its ecological impact is fraught with dire consequences. In this case the proposed railway line will necessitate the felling of apple orchards at Shopian. Request @manojsinha_ ji to involve a panel of… https://t.co/XAa6IPX70B

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) March 13, 2024

Mehbooba Mufti, the former chief Minister of Jammu Kashmir also voiced her concern over the proposed project. “Building railway lines through

Kashmir without taking into consideration its ecological impact is fraught with dire consequences. In this case the proposed railway line will necessitate the felling of apple orchards at Shopian. Request @manojsinha_ ji to involve a panel of environmental experts before taking such major decisions,” she tweeted.