📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / KennyOMG
Politics
Kashmir civil society warns new ‘Ease of Doing Business’ rules will damage homes and environment in J&K
✍️ The Hindu
🗓 10 Oct 2026, 08:31 AM
👁 15
A Kashmir-based civil society group says the recently announced Ease of Doing Business regulations could harm residential zones and the fragile environment of Jammu and Kashmir.
New guidelines under the central government's Ease of Doing Business initiative have drawn sharp criticism from a Kashmir-based civil society organization. The group argues that the rules, intended to streamline commercial activity, overlook the unique ecological and settlement patterns of Jammu and Kashmir, potentially leading to unplanned construction in residential neighborhoods.
According to the organization, the lack of stringent land‑use controls could encourage developers to encroach on green belts and agricultural land that buffer towns from landslides and floods. Such encroachment, they warn, would not only degrade the region's biodiversity but also increase vulnerability of homes to natural hazards.
The civil society body has called for a review of the policy, urging the government to incorporate environmental safeguards and local planning norms before implementation. It also appealed to the state administration to monitor any future projects for compliance with existing land‑use regulations.
While the central government has not yet responded, the warning adds to ongoing debates about balancing economic growth with environmental protection in the sensitive Himalayan state.
According to the organization, the lack of stringent land‑use controls could encourage developers to encroach on green belts and agricultural land that buffer towns from landslides and floods. Such encroachment, they warn, would not only degrade the region's biodiversity but also increase vulnerability of homes to natural hazards.
The civil society body has called for a review of the policy, urging the government to incorporate environmental safeguards and local planning norms before implementation. It also appealed to the state administration to monitor any future projects for compliance with existing land‑use regulations.
While the central government has not yet responded, the warning adds to ongoing debates about balancing economic growth with environmental protection in the sensitive Himalayan state.