Kashmir: GCC Raises Alarm Over Threat to Brein-Nishat Conservation Reserve, Dachigam National Park

SRINAGAR: The Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC) Jammu Kashmir has expressed grave concern over the proposed acquisition of 1,324 kanals of land in Brein-Nishat, Srinagar, for establishing a camping site for four CRPF battalions, warning that the move poses a serious threat to the fragile ecosystem of the Zabarwan hills and the adjoining Dachigam Wildlife National Park.

In a statement released on Saturday, the GCC said the area identified for the project falls within the Brein-Nishat Conservation Reserve, which is part of the “Protected Area Network” (PAN) notified under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, as amended in 2022. It cautioned that any construction in the area could disturb the sensitive ecological balance of the region and endanger rare wildlife species, including the Hangul (Kashmiri stag), snow leopard, and several other mammals already on the “red alert” conservation list.

“The squeezing of their natural habitat will have an irreversible impact on the entire biodiversity of this high-density tourist zone,” the statement warned.

The group further noted that the land also lies within the approved Green Belt Zone under the Srinagar Master Plan 2035, where infrastructure development is prohibited. Any land-use change, the GCC said, would be “highly perilous” given the ecological sensitivity of the region, which also forms part of the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) surrounding the Dachigam National Park and serves as an important micro-watershed of the Dal Lake.

The GCC welcomed the move by local citizens who have approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT) over the issue, prompting the tribunal to issue notices to the Government of Jammu and Kashmir and other concerned departments. It stressed the need for greater public awareness and engagement on matters of environmental conservation and sustainable development.

Recalling the heritage of the protected area, the group said Dachigam Wildlife Sanctuary was first established by Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1910 and later notified as a Wildlife Conservation Reserve under Cabinet Order No. 710 of 1945 dated July 11, 1945.

Expressing deep anguish at reports of vegetation removal, land clearance, and tree cutting allegedly taking place without mandatory environmental clearances or lawful acquisition procedures, the GCC appealed to the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister to immediately shelve the proposal and identify an alternative site for the CRPF camp.

The group also urged the administration to take concrete measures to prevent any unwarranted or unlawful interference with eco-fragile and tourist-sensitive areas across Jammu Kashmir, saying such actions would undermine decades of conservation and environmental protection efforts in the region.