EXPANDING ROADS NETWORK IN JAMMU & KASHMIR

ARTICLE :
PUBLISHED IN : EPILOGUE MAGAZINE

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Development and Environment
Expanding Road Network in Jammu and Kashmir

Are Development and Environment Complementary, or they stand antagonistic, analyses Dr Shahid Iqbal CHOUDHARY, IFS

When we come across two words “Development” and “Environment” together, there is a temptation to in public discussions, forums and even in policy circles to think of them in antagonistic terms. But before jumping to such a conclusion we ought to think that what for both development and environment strive, that is whether they have different goals for human community or planet earth as a whole, or they have some overlapping or things in common. Both development and environment aim to achieve a quality of life and also that of our surroundings, be it an urban conglomerate, a rural hinterland or even a core wilderness. So when both development and environment strive for a better quality of life on planet earth then one need not jump to conclude that development and environment are antagonistic. What we need is a balanced development and a stable sustainable environment, in perpetuity, with none hampering the progress and stability of the other. When we think of development it has to be accountable for what it takes from environment or society and hence it must pay towards a social or environmental responsibility also. Similarly the environmental gains should also be quantifiable and not overemphasized in an attempt to hamper the development directly or indirectly. Connectivity is a backbone of economic development and better roads, rail and air network is a major contributor of economic production and growth. When the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance started levying cess on petrol and diesel there was a hue and cry across the country about rise in fuel prices but when looked into the motive behind that move it revealed that how important the road network is. The cess on fuel was to generate some 10000 Cr rupees in a year which was to be utilized for betterment and expansion of road network in the country. The North-South and East-West corridors, connecting the entire country, and also the mega expressways were a result of the resources generated from the cess levied on fuel. Economist explained that due to bad condition of roads the annual losses owing to enhanced freight cost were far more than the total cess levied. Thus the tax money saved the cost of transportation through improvement of road network. That explains how important the road network in is for a competitive economy and better livelihood. The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) had also been a novel idea of connecting all the villages of country by the year 2009. And it is pertinent to mention here that this scheme has also been blamed for the greater damage to the forests as the rural hinterland was brought on the map of road network. In this backdrop we analyze the expanding road network in Jammu and Kashmir – whether it is in tandem with the environment or at the cost of environment.

Road connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir is major issue of concern. The present connectivity between Kashmir valley and Jammu, and also rest of the country, is the one and only National Highway 1A, which too remains closed for days together in the rainy season or snowfall during peak winter. The clearance work done on war footing during the landslides or snow avalanches ensures connectivity between the twin capital cities which otherwise would be next to impossible. There is also connectivity problem in the rural districts like that between capital cities but in the former case the road clearance operation would obviously not that quick thus facing a connectivity disadvantage. The total road network maintained by different agencies as on March 2008 has crossed 40,000 Kilometers in the state. Both central and state government agencies maintain these roads under their respective jurisdiction or areas of activity in the state. The lead player State Public Works Department mans some 16000 Km road in the state excluding the National Highway component which is maintained by the Border Roads Organization. The Border Roads Organization is responsible for more than 5000 KM of the National Highways in state. Three major Projects of BRO in Jammu and Kashmir state are Project Beacon, Project Himank and Project Sampark respectively connecting two capitals, Kargil and Leh, and border districts. Apart from organizations responsible for construction and management of road network in the state, that is public transportations, roads are also constructed by few departments for their own developmental requirements which also adds to connectivity in the rural areas. The Forest Department has a total of more than 10000 KM roads, called Forest Roads, which have been constructed for management of and working in forest areas. But most of the forest road is unsurfaced, as is about 40% of total road in the state. The Irrigation and Flood Control Department too needs its own connectivity network in priority areas where work has to be done every year to control flood or manage irrigation, thus having a road network of about 500 KM to its credit. Compared to that Rural Development Department, also known as Community Development and National Extension Scheme Department, alone has constructed a road network of about 3500 KM in the state. The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has enlarged the connectivity to the villages in state as is being done in the entire country under this scheme. PMGSY aims at connecting villages with a population of 1000 and 5000 in plains and hilly ares respectively. For tribal majority villages the qualifying figures for PMGSY connectivity has been kept at 500 and 250 respectively, thus the expanding road network in the rural hinterland could be anybody’s guess.

The Forest Department has received most of the proposal of land diversion from the PMGSY in the last year. The expanding road network has a definite bearing on the local ecology and environment which needs to be compensated and restored so as to maintain an environmental balance. The Forest Conservation Act strives for that by ensuring compensatory afforestation in lieu of the land diverted to indenting agencies for construction of roads. Double the land area diverted for development or construction has to be brought under compensatory afforestation as per the directions of Hon’ble apex court in T. N. Godavarman Vs Union of India case. The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) which came into being on Supreme Court directions has a key role to play in deciding the diversion of forest land throughout the country. Forest Bench of supreme court has been termed as green bench but the recent judgments give an indication that the golden era of Godaverman is fading out. May be it is due to unsatisfactory compensatory afforestation or undue environmental breaks on development but the bottom-line remains that environment should not be held hostage for the increased needs of development. Jammu and Kashmir state has its own Forest Conservation Act of 1997 under which the land diversion clearance methodology has been provided at different levels. The Chief Conservator of Forests, Principle Chief Conservator of Forests and the J&K Government Advisory Committee are three level or authorities which give clearance for diversion of forest land depending on the area involved.

If diversion of forest land could be an indicator the quantum of expanding road network can judged. But at the same time neither all the forest land diverted is for roads alone nor all the roads constructed involve forest land diversion. So the environmental cost of development in the state can be fairly analyzed accordingly. Ending 2005 a total of 283 cases of forest land diversion stood sanctioned at various levels involving a total forest area 8159 Ha diverted for development. The major indenting agencies involved in road construction seeking road diversion are GREF, PMGSY, Public Works Department and National Highway Authority of India. Other agencies in favor of whom forest land stands diverted are National Hydroelectric Power Corporation, Northern Railways, Konkan Railways, Air Force, Irrigation Department and Army as well. For the land diversion a relative amount as compensation for forest land involved is recovered from the indenting agencies before the land is diverted. During 2004-05 the total forest area diverted was about 482 Ha and against that the compensation amount charged was about Rs 26 Cr. Similarly in 2005-06 about 1400 Ha land stood diverted for which the compensation amounted to Rs 123 Cr and the figure stood at about Rs 70 Cr for 2006-07 from a total of 82 cases. This involved diversion for hydroelectric projects and connectivity networks in majority. The amount so realized is used for compensatory afforestation to offset the harmful impacts on the environment owing to developmental activities.

The Mughal road had been into controversy owing to the stretch passing through Hirpora wildlife sanctuary and the stalemate as an outcome of issue erupted in Poonch regarding damages to forests by the Hindustan Construction Company. But later the Supreme Court gave a go ahead for construction of road across Hirpora wildlife sanctuary as well and the road is supposed to be made motorable later this year. It will provide an alternate connectivity between the twin capital cities, but will be of most importance for twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. Moreover it will have a greater bearing on economics and business as it is set to alter many dimensions prevailing at present owing to no alternate connectivity between valley and Jammu, or even rest of country. So what we contested in the opening paragraph seems to be true, focusing on the quality of life can help us to generate a common understanding not only of the development but also of the environment which undoubtedly plays a central role in our lives. But the success will depend on how efficiently the environmental glory is restored alongside the ongoing expansion of road network in the state.

Amartya Sen has pointed out in his book ‘Development and Participation’ that “Development is Empowering and that Power Can Be Used to Preserve and Enrich the Environment, and not just to decimate it”. The substance of this statement is of a great relevance and holds true when the developmental empowerment is utilized for preserving as well as enhancement of environment. Development is an ongoing phenomenon so should be the endeavor to preserve the environment to ensure a sustainable and healthy livelihood on the plane. The concept of distributive justice has to be kept in mind in deciding the so called conflict between development and environment. And it will be of a greater importance not to view development and environment in antagonistic terms but as two parts of a same process with common goal of quality of life. It will not be out of place to mention here that the relationship between the Development and Environment needs to be seen an adequately broader way, taking note of constructive prospects as well as destructive possibilities. And those having mandate to preserve the environment need not be seen as anti development but as facilitators of that quality of life which the Development too strives to achieve. In the present competitive world road connectivity in deed is indispensible but at the same time we have to collectively bear in mind that environment too is a global issue of concern today and we cannot afford to turn a blind eye towards environmental issue as well. The developmental agencies need to pay due attention towards the environmental responsibility as well, as the environment is giving in to development it should also be restored to sustainable level. The social and environmental responsibility of development can hardly be undermined. Present environmental trends appear to be incompatible with the basic requirements of a sustainable development so the time calls for a developmental strategy cohesive with the environmental preservation and development. Environmental irresponsibility is often blamed to have roots in the political and ideological roots, this may not be without substance but at the same time we need to accept our individual and corporate responsibility towards the environment.

(THE AUTHOR IS AN IFS OFFICER POSTED IN SRINAGAR AND CAN BE REACHED AT SHAHIDIQBALC@GMAIL.COM)