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Kashmir apple orchards face pressure from construction
The Hindu BusinessLine··29 Aug
Apple growers in Kashmir say orchard land is being cleared for storages, houses and commercial buildings as high-density plantations expand. Horticulture contributes about 7 percent to Jammu and Kashmir's GSDP. NITI Aayog data show land under non-agricultural uses rose by 1,000 hectares between 2020-21 and 2023-24. Director Horticulture Vikas Anand said conversion beyond 18 marlas needs Deputy Commissioner permission.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Orchard owners converting more than 18 marlas need change-of-land-use permission from the Deputy Commissioner.
- Growers investing in high-density plantations face permanent loss if that land is later built over.
- Neighbourhood orchards can lose contiguous growing space when one parcel switches to construction.
What's Happening
- Cultivator Tariq Ahmad said people hack down apple trees to build storages and other commercial units.
- He said once an orchard is converted, returning that land to cultivation is very difficult.
- Urban expansion around Srinagar is the zone where horticultural loss shows most clearly in the cited study.
What satellite land-use data show
- A satellite study found Srinagar's built-up area grew by 3,835 hectares between 1980 and 2012.
- About 258 hectares of plantation and orchard land converted directly to built-up use in that period.
- Overall, 689 hectares of plantation and orchard land was lost to built-up areas, parks, gardens and vacant land.
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