Kupwara: Unregulated construction activity along the Zachaldara–Satkoji road in Kupwara district has sparked widespread concern, with residents accusing authorities of ignoring clear violations of the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act. Multiple structures have been raised in close proximity to the road, which was developed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), sparking fears of future safety, environmental, and planning complications.
Despite repeated complaints, locals say no meaningful action has been taken by the revenue department or PMGSY officials to stop the encroachments. No demolition notices or stop-work orders have been issued so far, they allege, allowing unchecked growth of buildings along the roadside.
A respectable citizen, requesting anonymity, told the news agency Kashmir News Trust: “Buildings are coming up within a few feet of the main road. If this continues unchecked, it will turn the entire stretch into an unplanned urban corridor. The law is clear, but no one is enforcing it.”
The Prevention of Ribbon Development Act explicitly bars construction within a designated distance of notified roads without permission from competent authorities. Violations are punishable with penalties and even demolition. However, residents and civic observers argue that enforcement is weak, citing poor coordination between departments, administrative inertia, and alleged collusion at the local level.
Civic groups said that the problem is aggravated by the absence of marked building lines or control zones, leaving the road vulnerable to creeping encroachment. Environmental planners warn that unchecked ribbon development could lead to worsening traffic congestion, poor drainage, and severe hurdles in widening the road or laying public utilities in the future.
Locals are now considering filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to compel enforcement. They are urging the ACB to start investigations and take strict action against erring officials or private parties who facilitated the violations. [KNT]
