Shopian residents denounce demarcation of agri land for railway line
Say ‘our orchards are our only source of livelihood’
Shopian: Scores of farmers and orchard owners from Keegam and nearby villages in Shopian district are up in arms against the ongoing demarcation of ‘fertile agricultural land’ for the proposed railway line from Kakapora to Shopian.
The exercise, marked by the installation of poles and markers on fields, has sparked deep anxiety among residents who fear losing their orchards — the backbone of their families’ income and survival.
Locals demanded that the government either rehabilitate the alignment away from productive lands or halt the exercise altogether.
“We have nurtured these orchards for decades. This isn’t just land — it is our life, our only means to feed our children, educate them, and meet our daily needs,” said Nazir Ahmad, a farmer from Keegam. “If the railway line cuts through these fields, our families will have nowhere to go.”
Another local, Wali Mohammad, expressed frustration over how the surveying teams had begun marking land without proper consultation with villagers. “We wake up to see poles in our orchards. There was no prior notice, no discussion, nothing,” he said. “This project threatens to uproot us from our own land.”
Many farmers in the region rely entirely on apple orchards and paddy fields for their livelihood. They argue that unlike barren land, the fertile acres in this belt cannot be replaced once lost. “Our orchards take years of toil and care to bear fruit,” said a young orchard owner. “Once gone, they cannot simply be replaced by money.”
Raja Waheed, a local leader from the PDP, urged the authorities to examine alternative alignments. “There are stretches of barren land — for example via Rambiara — where the railway could be routed without destroying productive agriculture,” he said. “Why destroy orchards that sustain thousands of families?”
Residents said similar marking and surveying had taken place previously but were paused after protests. The renewed exercise, they say, has once again brought uncertainty and fear to thousands of horticultural families.
“We are not against development or connectivity,” said Farooq Ahmad, another farmer. “But development at the cost of our existence is unacceptable. Our orchards are our economic lifeline, and we cannot allow them to be sacrificed without our consent.
“Without orchards, there is no future for us here,” locals said . “We appeal to the government — listen to your people, or this land will stay barren with broken promises.”
