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A lot has been said about national security when it comes to Jammu and Kashmir, but very little news comes out when it comes to environmental security.
I recently visited Jammu's Raika forest. Forty hectares of land inside this forest has been approved for the construction of the new Jammu and Kashmir High Court complex. This forest houses over 150 species of plants and animals.
Parimoo further added, "We had forests and wildlife co-existing here. Water was also getting regulated. But due to lack of environmental concern Bahu Rakh is now only 16 sq km, where Raika is. From 60 sq km, it’s been reduced to just 6 sq km now. Similarly, Ramnagar Rakh has been reduced to 5-7 sq km from 30 sq km. Both these (environmental) lungs have been chopped off. I mean, I am unable to understand (the need for a new one, when) we already have a good high court complex. It has everything. Now, J&K is a Union Territory and not even a big state. Compare this with the current Srinagar High Court. That one is small and inside the city. One fine morning, somebody had a dream to acquire 813 Kanal (around 40 hectare) land (to build a court complex)."
Residents and locals are concerned and worried about the damage it would cause to the environment and livelihood.
What's even more concerning for residents living there is that they've been living in those areas for decades now and suddenly they've been asked to move.
Radha, a resident of the same place says that the court should not be made there because it requires cutting down of trees. She adds, "We are not nomads who spend six months at one place and six at another place. We stay here only. Where will we go?"
Despite these concerns, the project currently has legal sanction. In January 2020, the petition that was filed in National Green Tribunal against the move was dismissed on the grounds that legal process for the approval of forest land development has been followed.
(The author is an environmental activist. All 'My Report' branded stories are submitted by citizen journalists to The Quint. Though The Quint inquires into the claims/allegations from all parties before publishing, the report and the views expressed above are the citizen journalist's own. The Quint neither endorses, nor is responsible for the same.)
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