For two ring road projects, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) uprooted and felled thousands of trees from orchards.
Farmers have stated that they have not been reimbursed according to current rates for the 600 acres of agricultural land being purchased for a 62-kilometer roadway connecting Pulwama with Ganderbal via Budgam as part of the Srinagar Ring Road project, according to a news report by DowntoEarth.
Kashmir’s precious fruit trees, such as plum, apple, pears, and peach trees, are among the thousands of trees uprooted in the last six months.
According to the report, some 600 apple trees were cut down in the Gudsathoo district of Budgam in October, and the farmers were given rates based on the 1996 prices.
In the month of March, the NHAI and NKC Projects Pvt Ltd, along with revenue department officials, uprooted over 250 plum and apple trees without even informing the affected farmers. “The bulldozers of NKC Projects Pvt Ltd, aided by the site engineer of NHAI and the Naib Tehsildar of Chadoora tehsil, trespassed onto our farm at midday on March 30, 2022, and began uprooting fruit trees such as plum, pear, apple, and quince. The uprooted trees were all in full bloom, with massive blossoms, and were expected to produce a big crop this season ” Mohammed Afzal said.
The farmers also claimed that they were compensated based on 1996 rates. The apple per kg rate was Rs 16 in 1996, and the plum rate was Rs 13; today, they are seven to eight times higher.
Afzal was compensated in the range of Rs 4,700-5,000. Each tree, he claims, bears at least 70-80 kg of fruit each year.
Jammu is in a similar condition. A 58-kilometer motorway has already been built on 400 acres of land. The project is still being worked on.
Because the proceedings were conducted under the antiquated Jammu and Kashmir Land Acquisition Act, 1934, affected farmers were denied adequate compensation. In Jammu, the land acquisition procedure has been completed.