Payar residents protest against cutting of almond trees from state land
Pulwama: The residents of Payar village in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Wednesday staged a protest against cutting of almond trees from state land.
The residents said that these trees were in their custody since decades and have worked day and night to grow these trees.
“The local population is dependent on almond trees for their livelihood as most of them do not have any other source of income,” said Ghulam Hassan, a local resident.
“I am 60 year old and I have been working on this land to earn my livelihood and cutting almond trees is like snatching my life,” he said.
He said that the government claimed that a sports ground will be constructed on the land on which almond trees were being cut.
“But the land is also available at various other spots where the authorities can construct the sports field,” the locals said.
The locals said the government, instead of cutting these almond trees, which was a source of income for them, should kill them before snatching the land.
“Unemployment rate is at its peak and we all families in the area are dependent on the almond industry for our survival. If these trees are cut we will die of starvation,” the locals said.
They urged the government to look into the matter on humanitarian grounds.
“Otherwise we will have no option other than to commit suicide,” the locals said.
The locals said they were not against government decision to retrieve land which has been forcefully taken in custody of some powerful people
“But at the same time, poor people must be exempted as this land has been in their custody since decades,” the locals said.
Jahangeer Ganaie
