The National Green Tribunal’s intervention in the proposed Trenz Industrial Estate should serve as a timely warning for the Jammu and Kashmir Government. At the heart of the matter lies not merely a legal dispute, but a fundamental question of environmental prudence and governance: can development be justified if it imperils a fragile river ecosystem and the lives and livelihoods dependent on it? The Rambiara River is not just a flowing water body; it is an ecological lifeline for South Kashmir. Any interference with its natural course, floodplain or hydrology is fraught with danger. History across the world has repeatedly demonstrated a universal truth: fiddling with the natural path of rivers invariably leads to catastrophic consequences-floods, erosion, loss of fertile land and irreversible ecological damage. The devastation caused by such misadventures is often realised only when it is too late to reverse course.
The proposal to establish a large industrial estate barely 30 metres from the river Rambiara, allegedly within its floodplain, appears to disregard these hard-learnt lessons. Floodplains are meant to absorb excess water during high flows. Constricting them with concrete and industrial infrastructure is an invitation to disaster, especially in a region already identified as highly vulnerable to floods and flash floods. With nearly a dozen downstream villages in Shopian and Pulwama districts potentially at risk, the stakes could not be higher. Equally troubling is the apparent haste behind the decision. With the New Industrial Policy unlikely to be extended in the near future, there is no compelling urgency to push industrialisation at the cost of environmental stability. Development cannot be reduced to a race for approvals and groundbreaking ceremonies. Once altered, rivers rarely forgive human error. The cost is paid not by policymakers, but by farmers who lose their fields, orchardists who see generations of labour washed away, and families forced to live under the constant threat of floods.
The NGT has rightly taken cognisance of the seriousness of the issue. The Government should objectively examine the merits of the case. Specialists must be allowed to study the site afresh and assess the long-term implications. Protecting the river Rambiara today is not an obstacle to growth. Above all, the first and foremost concern must remain the life and livelihood of the people of the region.
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