Pulwama farmers raise objection over grazing land allocation for security base

PULWAMA — Farmers and residents of Nownagri village in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district have raised strong objections to the latest administrative move to allocate their remaining grazing land for a proposed security establishment.

According to the locals, most of the village’s land has already been handed over for industrial purposes in recent years, leaving the agricultural community with very limited space for farming and livestock grazing—both of which are essential to their livelihood.

Voicing the concerns of his constituents, MLA Pulwama, Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, publicly appealed to former Chief Minister and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah to intervene and protect what he called the “last stretch of community grazing land” in the village.

Para emphasized that the move is being executed without any compensation or rehabilitation plan for the affected villagers, many of whom depend entirely on this land for their sustenance.

“The people of Nownagri are not against development or national security needs,” Para said. “But it cannot come at the cost of pushing farmers into desperation and taking away the only means of their survival.”

Villagers have warned that further erosion of their agricultural base could force many families to abandon traditional farming altogether.

The villagers have urged the administration to reconsider the decision and explore alternative locations for the proposed security setup. They are also calling for a comprehensive land-use policy that balances security needs with the rights and livelihoods of local communities.