It is a bitter pill to swallow but swallow we have to. Any guesses for the actual number of hectares of forest land under encroachment as of 2024, as you read this? 19722 is the answer. This is scary and calls for immediate action.
Forest land is the most important land of our union territory. The moderate summers we observe in summers are on account of these forests. Forests are the arteries of the environment. Dense forests are emblematic of a healthier environment and thinned-out forests are a symbol of a diseased environment. Forests herald rain and are the proverbial rainmakers of the world. Forests help in moderating the acute summer heat.
Who are these land sharks occupying our forest land? We are sure the government has all the details. The government must act now and act tough. Irrespective of who these land sharks are, what their political affiliation is, and irrespective of how well-connected they are. Forest land is like the most sacred land when it comes to the longevity of human civilization and anyone who tries to encroach it must face the law of the land.
However, at the same time with the growing population and an incurable penchant for horizontal expansion, a time will come when the periphery of forests will face an irresistible pressure from the expanding population. We cannot lose sight of the fact that everyone in Kashmir wants to have a standalone home for his small nuclear family. At this rate, the entire available land in Kashmir Valley will get saturated in another forty to fifty years.
It is high time that the government promotes vertical expansion in the city. The government needs to broadcast this important message to the general public that there is not enough land for every family to have a standalone home and it is highly recommended that people live in apartments in a society that can save the valley a lot it most prized entity – land.
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