Pulwama, Dec 7: The ongoing land marking for the proposed Pulwama–Shopian railway line has triggered strong resentment across several villages, where residents fear losing their fertile agricultural land, considered their primary source of livelihood.
The demarcation work, carried out through the installation of short poles to indicate the proposed alignment, has alarmed farmers who say the project threatens thriving apple orchards and paddy fields sustaining thousands of families.
Officials have been visiting villages, including Gudoora, Kangan, Babhara and neighbouring areas over the past week to mark the corridor. The move prompted farmers to rush to the sites, demanding that the work be halted until their concerns are addressed. Locals said they were caught off guard when they noticed poles being erected inside orchards and farmland without prior consultation.
“The area is currently being surveyed, and poles are being installed to demarcate the land,” said Ghulam Mohammad, a farmer from Kangan, describing the act as deeply distressing for land-dependent households. Several orchard owners said the fresh round of surveying has revived year-long anxiety, noting that this is the fourth time the alignment has been examined.
A similar demarcation exercise last year had sparked widespread protests, forcing authorities to put the process on hold temporarily. However, the resumption of land marking has reignited tensions. Altaf Ahmad, a resident and political activist from Zadoora, questioned the need for the project, arguing that Pulwama and Shopian are already well-connected by road. “There is absolutely no need for a railway line that will destroy our orchards. Hundreds of families depend on this land to survive,” he said.
Villagers insist they are not against development but believe that infrastructure should not come at the cost of agricultural sustainability. They say alternative barren land should be identified, or the government should explore improving existing road connectivity rather than cutting through productive orchards.
Residents in Newa echoed similar concerns, accusing authorities of repeatedly targeting farmland for different projects. “First it was the engineering college, and now the railway project. Every time, the burden falls on our farms,” they said.
Farmers warned that they will resist any attempt to convert agricultural belts into railway corridors. “Our orchards are our economic lifeline. We will not allow these poles to turn into railway tracks,” they said, urging the government to reconsider the alignment and initiate dialogue with affected families before proceeding further.
