Kashmir’s Agricultural Emergency

By Dr. Ashraf Zainabi

Land is the foundation of life. It feeds us, shelters us, sustains our economies, and forms the very identity of a place. But in Kashmir, land is under siege. Not by foreign powers or natural disasters, but by the greed and short-sightedness of its own people and policymakers. 

The lush fields that once grew saffron, paddy, and almonds are being swallowed by an unchecked industrial explosion, urban sprawl, and infrastructure projects.

Kashmir’s total agricultural land has shrunk from 467,700 hectares in 2015 to just 389,000 hectares today. That’s a staggering loss of land in the last 10 years alone—of nearly 78,700 hectares (17%)—that could have fed generations. Given this land conversion trend, Kashmir may witness 50% agricultural land loss by 2050. And by the time, the population may see a 20% increase. As already reported, the average land-holding per household in Kashmir stands at less than 4 kanals. It may go below 2 kanals by 20250. And it is not hard to imagine the consequences.

Another agricultural land-consuming policy of the government under consideration at the moment is the construction of satellite townships. This proposed policy is aimed at decongesting the Srinagar city. But the land being identified is purely the agricultural land available on the sides of the Srinagar semi-ring road. Instead, the government must think of other available options, maybe the state lands around the karewas in upper towns of all districts. These lands if used for the construction of the proposed townships is better than them being ravaged for development of railways and highways. And why Budgam alone? A big question that must be asked by all stakeholders.

Once green and productive lands are now home to hundreds of brick kilns, hundreds of plywood factories, and other polluting industries. The official number of brick kilns alone has crossed 560, many operating illegally, pumping poison into the air (threatening human health and responsible for shrinking of glaciers). These brick kilns bake the earth into lifeless dust. To counter the mushrooming growth of brick kilns, a promising, less polluting, and economical alternative is cement-sand-based brick manufacturing industries. This shift is important and may prove a boon in hiring local workforce. An answer to least sought after work by locals in brick kilns. Kashmir has recently seen a number of cement-sand-based brick manufacturing units that have hired local workers, thus retaining the local economy within Valley.

A farmer in Kashmir today no longer sees the land as a sacred trust. Instead, many see it as real estate: a disposable asset. With each plot leased out to a brick kiln or an industrialist, the region moves one step closer to food insecurity. What’s worse? The children of these farmers no longer wish to farm. They dream of government jobs, city life, and easy earnings, leaving behind dying fields.

If this continues, where will Kashmir get its food? Already, the region imports more than 70% of its food grains from outside, making it perilously dependent on unstable supply chains. This isn’t just an economic issue, it’s a survival issue. The more land we lose, the more Kashmiris become hostages to markets that care nothing for them.

Who’s responsible? Everyone, including government officials who turn a blind eye, investors who prioritize quick profits, and most painfully, the farmers themselves. The very stewards of Kashmir’s fertile land are now its sellers, leasing it to industries that ravage the soil beyond repair. The mindset of farmers has shifted: why toil in the fields when leasing land to an industry brings easy money?

Kashmir’s most agricultural land is being used to expand industrial sector. But with unprecedented air and water pollution, rising temperatures, erratic weather patterns, less rainfall and resultant forest fires. Glaciers being reported receding due to black carbon from brick kilns, wetlands vanishing, reducing the region’s ability to prevent floods and store fresh water. We are watching the slow murder of Kashmir’s natural wealth, and yet, the silence from policymakers is deafening.

Kashmir cannot afford another decade of this destruction. So, what must be done? A complete ban on industrial encroachment of agricultural land. No more brick kilns, no more polluting factories on farmlands. We must reclaim what has been lost. Heavy penalties for illegal land leasing. If a farmer leases fertile land to an industry, the contract should be declared void, with strict penalties imposed on both, the land-doner and industrialist.

To reclaim farming a passion and productive sector, government-backed incentives for young people to take up sustainable farming is a way forward. This can be achieved by giving advanced training to farmers to make farming both profitable and respected. About vandalized Karewas, large-scale afforestation and soil regeneration projects can be initiated. 

Last but not the least, it is time to encourage clean, sustainable industries that align with Kashmir’s environmental and economic needs.

• – The author is an Advisor at The Nature University Kashmir. Views expressed in this article are author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect KO’s editorial policy.

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