Climate activists have intensified their agitation to oppose the construction of the new High Court building on Raika forest land in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, climate experts say that felling of around 38,000 trees for the project will cause irrevocable damage to the local ecology.
With the construction work set to begin soon for the new high court building on Raika forest land in Jammu, Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud is expected to lay the foundation stone, today (Wednesday), for the new building which will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 938 crore.
A group of young activists along with a number of NGOs have come together for over a week now under the banner of ‘Volunteers of Friends of Raika’ to protest against the project. They have been employing various tools to voice their opposition.
On Sunday, activists demonstrated at Jammu’s Bahu Plaza, by distributing pamphlets, through graffiti, and by other means. Climate activists from across India have also demonstrated in their own cities by taking out solidarity rallies.
Ritambra Khajuria (26), a senior coordinator of Climate Front Jammu, in an interview said, man’s attempt to play with nature is costing us an unfortu-nate price, adding that project will endanger the lives of many Adivasis and people relying on the forest to feed their cattle, and also pose a threat to several species of flora and fauna. Khajuria said the move with cause damage to the natural habitats of several species of peacocks, foxes, porcupines, rabbits, mongooses, wild pigs, musk deer, snakes, leopards, among others.
“It will also adversely affect the local Gujjar community. Their lives and livelihoods are dependent on the forest, and the forest too depends on them. Sooner than later, the whole area will be urbanised, depriving us of the last remaining urban forest, or to be precise, the lungs of Jammu – Raika” Kahjuriya said.
Young climate activist Anmol Ohori said, “We know that we are doing the right thing, by raising awareness about the upcoming project on Raika forest land. Despite heat waves and unpleasant weather over the past few days – again, a clear indication of the climate crisis – several have turned out to demonstrate against the project. We are doing our bit by raising awareness among the general public.” He said that several people from different cities in India, including Mumbai, Hyderabad, Rajasthan, and Uganda came together on Sunday, June 25, to stand up for Raika, Tawi, and Sagars.
A Jammu-based environmentalist Bhushan Parmo observed that one of the reasons for the rising temperature in Jammu City is deforestation. “Jammu city was once surrounded by a large number of trees and plants of Bahu Rakh of around 60 sq km.—KMS
