Raja Syed Rather
Srinagar, Jul 21 : The Jammu and Kashmir government has denied allegations of widespread deforestation in the eco-sensitive regions of Tosamaidan (Budgam) and Gulmarg (Baramulla), even as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) raised concerns over the administration’s silence on video and photographic evidence submitted by the petitioner.
The issue, under Original Application No. 913/2024 was taken up after environmental activist and advocate Ashiq Ahmad Magray submitted a plea supported by visual proof, alleging large-scale tree felling, illegal logging and ecological degradation driven by unregulated tourism infrastructure including the Gulmarg Gondola cable car project.
In its response to the NGT, the Forest department dismissed the claims, stating that no recent deforestation had occurred.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the department attributed the degraded condition of Tosamaidan to its use as an Army firing range between 1986 and 2014, during which forest protection was severely restricted.
Since regaining control of the area, the officials said, extensive eco-restoration efforts have been initiated under the CAMPA scheme, with 1.49 lakh saplings planted across 207 hectares between 2018 and 2024.
The report also cited the establishment of the Tosamaidan Development Authority, the booking of 43 timber smugglers under the Public Safety Act, and the creation of dedicated control rooms to monitor forest activity.
Regarding Gulmarg, the government clarified that only 0.125 hectares of forest land had been transferred to the Gulmarg Development Authority (GDA) for setting up a solid waste treatment plant. It asserted that the renovation and construction of hotels and huts are regulated under the J&K Building Operations Act, 1998, and that no forest land has been diverted for the Gondola project.
However, the NGT pointed out that the state’s response failed to directly address the recent visual evidence of tree felling submitted by the petitioner. The tribunal expressed dissatisfaction and has granted the government time to rectify procedural deficiencies in its report. It also directed the authorities to furnish a copy of the report to the applicant for a rejoinder.
Notably, the Forest Department admitted gaps in waste management in Gulmarg, especially during peak tourist seasons.
The existing 3 MT solid waste treatment facility was found to be inadequate, and a proposal for a 25 MT plant costing ₹14.4 crore has been submitted. Initiatives to control plastic waste and raise awareness among service providers are also underway
