When urbanisation and industrialisation ignore the environment, development can become a threat to the landscape that sustains us
Mir Iqbal Hussain
A friend of mine once constructed a house on nearly three kanals of land. What troubled me was not the construction itself, but the way the land was used. The house could have been built on a much smaller portion of the property, allowing several trees to remain standing. Instead, trees were cut to make way for construction. One may dismiss this as an individual decision. But when similar decisions are repeated across thousands of households, villages and towns, they become an environmental problem. And this is exactly what appears to be happening across the Kashmir Valley. Kashmir is changing rapidly. Houses are replacing open spaces, commercial structures are spreading, roads are expanding and industrial units are coming up in areas that were once covered with trees, vegetation or agricultural land.
Development is necessary, but the question we must ask is: Are we developing Kashmir, or gradually removing the natural foundations that make Kashmir worth living in? Around my own village, several factories have been established after trees were cut. In some cases, one wonders whether better site selection could have allowed construction on land with fewer trees and less ecological value. This is not an argument against industrialisation. Kashmir needs employment, investment and economic opportunities. Nor is it an argument against people building homes. Families need houses and communities need infrastructure. The real issue is where and how we build. A tree standing on a piece of land is often treated as an obstacle to construction. Agricultural land or open land is sometimes viewed simply as vacant space waiting to be occupied. But land is not merely a commodity. It performs ecological functions that cannot easily be replaced by concrete.
Trees provide shade, absorb carbon, support biodiversity, protect soil and contribute to the health of local ecosystems. Open and agricultural areas help maintain natural drainage and provide space for ecological processes. Wetlands and water bodies perform functions that become particularly important during heavy rainfall and flooding. When these natural spaces disappear, the consequences may not be immediately visible. But over time, the landscape becomes more vulnerable to heat, water stress, flooding, pollution and other environmental pressures. Research on urban growth in the Kashmir Valley has already highlighted the conversion of agricultural and vegetated areas into built-up land. The expansion of Srinagar and surrounding settlements demonstrates how quickly the boundary between urban and rural landscapes can disappear.
The problem becomes more serious when urbanisation and industrialisation occur without adequate land-use planning. A factory should not simply be established because a piece of land is available. A residential structure should not automatically consume every tree standing on a plot.
“Economic growth and environmental protection must go hand-in-hand through planned, responsible development rather than reckless construction. Kashmir’s historic, harmonious relationship with its natural landscape must be preserved against unchecked urbanization. Onus is on both the people and as well as the Government to act before ecological damage becomes irreversible.”
Development planning should consider soil, drainage, vegetation, agricultural value, water resources, biodiversity and the long-term carrying capacity of the area. Unfortunately, environmental considerations are often brought into the discussion only after damage has occurred. This needs to change. Government planning has a major role to play. Authorities need to identify areas suitable for residential, commercial and industrial development while protecting ecologically sensitive and productive land. Existing trees should be preserved wherever reasonably possible. Green spaces should be incorporated into expanding settlements. Industrial development should follow proper environmental safeguards, and plantation should not be treated merely as a numerical exercise after trees have already been lost. But government alone cannot solve the problem. Citizens also have a responsibility. If a person has several kanals of land, must every tree be removed simply because construction is possible? If an alternative portion of the same property can accommodate a building without destroying mature trees, should that option not receive preference? These questions require a change in attitude.
The tragedy is that we often realise the value of trees only after they have disappeared. The issue is also connected with the larger challenge of climate change. Urban expansion, loss of vegetation, increasing concrete surfaces, industrial activity and changing land use can collectively place additional pressure on the environment. Climate change may be a global phenomenon, but the way we use our land locally can either increase or reduce our vulnerability to its consequences. Kashmir therefore needs a different idea of development that builds without unnecessarily destroying. We need houses, but not at the cost of every tree. We need industries, but not without environmental planning. We need roads and infrastructure, but not by treating every green space as expendable. The Kashmir Valley cannot remain frozen in time, nor should it. Development is inevitable and necessary. But development must be guided by planning, responsibility and an understanding of the ecological limits of the landscape. The choice before us is not between development and the environment. The real choice is between planned development that respects nature and unplanned development that eventually pays for its own environmental damage. Every tree saved during construction is a small victory. Every green space protected is an investment in the future. Every carefully selected industrial site is an opportunity to prove that economic growth and environmental responsibility do not have to be enemies. Kashmir has spent centuries building a relationship with its mountains, forests, water bodies, orchards and fertile land. We should be careful not to replace that relationship with concrete. Both the government and the people will have to sensitise themselves to these issues before the water runs over our heads.
(The author is a teacher and Environmental Science researcher pursuing a PhD in Environmental Science. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
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Mir Iqbal Hussain
