Rapid urbanisation: Why lush Kashmir is losing its paddy fields and wetlands

Kashmir is losing its prime agricultural land and wetlands to rapid urbanisation and faulty land-use, according to a December 2016 state policy document on land use. Unplanned construction–and this includes residential colonies, factories, brick kilns, shopping complexes and other commercial infrastructure–has severely damaged the agricultural and ecological resources of the state, added the paper drawn up by the state’s revenue department.

Annually, Kashmir is losing an average 1,375 hectares of agricultural land–about the size of 1,527 football fields–according to an IndiaSpend analysis of government figures.

Land under paddy cultivation in Kashmir