Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat
Reshipora is a small village located in the outskirts of Budgam town. The District Administration of Budgam around the end of April told them that the Government had plans to set up a makeshift COVID 19 hospital in Kashmir and for that administration has suggested to utilize public land (Kah Charai , shamilat) of Reshipora. The local residents didn’t utter a word and gave their consent. The 74 kanals of land had thousands of willow , poplar and other varieties of lush green trees. The villagers were made to sacrifice these green trees with this hope that they would get an alternate benefit . That never happened. The villagers got only an environmental disaster and no returns at all.
For the proposed 500 bedded hospital the work was started by May 1st. The District Administration axed around 2500 trees, say the locals, but after a week or so authorities decided not to go ahead with the construction and the project was shifted to Khonmoh area of Srinagar. The reason cited by district administration for shifting the project to Srinagar district is ridiculous. As I write this piece the work on Khonmoh COVID 19 hospital is going on war footing. But the people of Reshipora village in Budgam got nothing. When DC Budgam was asked why the Govt changed the idea to shift the hospital to Khonmoh , he told a newspaper reporter that land in Reshipora was marshy and its soil test reports were not feasible. Nobody asked the Deputy Commissioner why he didn’t do the necessary soil tests before axing 2500 trees? There is a famous Urdu couplet nakhuda hi milaanavis?l-e-sanamnaidharke hue naudharke hue. The literal meaning of this couplet is: I could attain neither God nor union with my beloved. I am neither here nor there, I am left high and dry. I relate this couplet with the residents of Reshipora Budgam.
DRDO sponsored hospital in Kashmir
For a 500 bedded COVID 19 makeshift hospital Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) wanted land in Kashmir. Authorities identified around 75 kanals of land at Resipora village near Budgam town. The land belonged to villagers (common land) which was used to graze animals. The land was also used as a playground by local youth. The ground clearance work began around May 1st with construction of an approach road over an irrigation canal. This was followed by axing of more than 2500 green trees which included willows, poplar and kicker trees. Around May 15th Government suddenly decided to construct this hospital in Khonmoh area south-east of Srinagar. The Budgam district administration told locals that soil test done in Reshipora was not favourable and thus Govt had decided not to go ahead with this project in the village. This infuriated the local residents. After some days the district administration issued a written communication requesting the Health and Medical Education Department to set up a new district hospital building (300 bedded) at Reshipora as the existing district hospital building in Budgam town was too small. This was done only to pacify the villagers. I am unable to understand that if the District Administration already knows that land at Reshipora isn’t suitable for construction of buildings, how can the Deputy Commissioner send written communication to the Govt to set up a new hospital building on the same land ? This is really confusing.
Soil test at site
Soil test is a very important step of construction before it begins. In the case of proposed hospital construction at Reshipora Budgam, the DRDO had been planning to construct prefab buildings. Even if they had plans to construct a multi-storey concrete building in the area, the soil testing could have been done even without axing a single tree. An estimated 2500 plus trees have been axed in the area, locals told this author. I believe the issue related to negative soil tests is not at all correct. Had that been so, the Govt could have made the report public. Secondly, had not the district administration written a letter to the Govt requesting to construct a new district hospital building on the same land ?
SC’s technical committee report
A Supreme Court-appointed technical committee has estimated the value of a matured tree at Rs. 74,500 multiplied by its age. This has generated hope among effected people whose fruit or non-fruit trees are axed during the land acquisition process by the Government. The technical committee’s report will help frame the guidelines on the valuation of trees that will be axed during the construction of any developmental project. The panel of experts told the Supreme Court bench in February this year headed by ex Chief Justice SA Bobde that a heritage tree-a large tree that takes decades or centuries to mature-serves society as well. Cost of tree used to be valued on fruits and timber in the past but now it is also valued on the basis of the oxygen, micro-nutrients, compost, and bio-fertilizer it releases into the earth and air. This report will help the affected people, especially the farmers and orchardists, whose priceless trees are axed for construction of Govt buildings, roads and other projects. The residents of Reshipora are also planning to approach authorities or even the judiciary and demand fair compensation for the huge number of trees that were felled by the Government in their village.
“We will approach forums like the higher judiciary or National Green Tribunal (NGT) to get justice. The way 2500 trees were axed in our village in return of disaster and devastation , we can’t remain mute spectators. We will fight the authorities legally ” said Munawar Hussain a local environmental activist
In the past also the Government has paid very meager compensation to orchardists of Budgam and Srinagar during construction of the Srinagar Semi Ring Road project. The assessment for fruit trees is made as per rates applicable 26 years back which haven’t been revised till date.
“Why is the government giving us compensation as per the 1995 rate ? Will Secretary Horticulture or Agriculture, J&K government, or the Agriculture Minister of India agree to take a salary which used to be given to officers or ministers in 1995? They won’t agree I am sure, how can they expect us to accept this paltry compensation of Rs. 16 per kg for apples when the same is sold at Rs. 60 to 70 per kg in the wholesale market?” said Bashir Ahmad an orchardist from Wathoora Budgam whose fruit trees are coming under alignment of Srinagar Semi Ring Road
Locals aghast
The local residents are aghast against the Government’s hasty decision to axe more than 2500 green trees in Reshipora. Google earth images of the affected site before axing of trees and after have become viral on social media. The local youth especially are uploading photos and videos of the vandalized site and criticizing the Government especially the district administration Budgam. Former Minister in Omar Abdullah’s cabinet who has been a legislator from Budgam assembly segment Aga Syed Ruhullah also criticized the Govt for shifting makeshift hospital to Khonmoh. Syed Gazanffar Ali Rizvi a resident of Budgam in his tweet said “If this is not an environmental disaster , what is it ? These lush green trees were the lungs of our area . We are really disheartened”
Conclusion
Deputy Commissioner Budgam, Shahbaz Mirza while talking to Daily Excelsior on May 15th said that the site identified by district administration was not feasible for the construction of COVID 19 hospital. He added that due to poor soil condition and marshy land, it was difficult to construct the makeshift hospital in the timelines as it required major time-consuming efforts for the construction of foundation etc. The question is if the site was not feasible or the land was marshy why didn’t the Deputy Commissioner get the soil testing done well in advance ? Why did he get 2500 trees axed and then went for the soil testing ?
(The author is Founder and Chairman of J&K RTI Movement and Anant Fellow for Climate Action.)
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