Kashmiri apple farmers fear loss of land, livelihood to railway project

In Indian-administered Kashmir, some Kashmiri apple farmers have been shocked when government officials arrived at their orchards without notice and began measuring their land for the construction of a railway line, Al Jazeera reported in an article published today, April 10.

The proposed 77km Anantnag-Bijbehara-Pahalgam railway line, one of five such projects totaling about 190km across the picturesque Kashmir valley, has left many farmers in distress, the article mentioned.

Apple farming is the largest employment generator in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, involving nearly 3.5 million farmers, contributing more than 8 percent to the region’s GDP.

The farmers, who have invested their lives and limited resources in raising orchards, now face the threat of their land being forcefully taken away by the authorities.

The project has also met criticism from environment and ecology experts, the article highlighted.