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Jammu and Kashmir continues to face large-scale land encroachment, with over 18.38 lakh kanals reported under illegal occupation across state and forest land. While authorities have started eviction drives and recovered a small portion, the overall progress remains limited compared to the total encroached area. District-wise data shows widespread impact across both Jammu and Kashmir divisions. The government is using legal action, joint enforcement drives and technology-based surveys to address the issue, while the High Court continues to monitor the situation through ongoing proceedings.
A large extent of land in Jammu and Kashmir continues to remain under encroachment, with official data showing that more than 18.38 lakh kanals have been illegally occupied across the Union Territory. Out of this, around 17.22 lakh kanals belong to state land, while approximately 1.15 lakh kanals fall under forest land, indicating that both administrative and environmental assets are affected. Advertisement
Authorities have been carrying out eviction drives under provisions of the Land Revenue Act, and the process of reclaiming land is currently ongoing. Officials have indicated that the exercise is continuous and does not have a fixed timeline, as new cases of encroachment are also being identified during field verification and inspections.
So far, about 29,067 kanals of land have been retrieved from encroachers. A major share of this recovery comes from state land, while forest land recovery remains comparatively lower. The eviction drives have been conducted across several districts over recent months, with visible progress reported in areas such as Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban and Reasi, where coordinated action has helped clear portions of illegally occupied land.
District-level data highlights that encroachment is spread across both divisions. In the Jammu region, districts like Rajouri, Reasi and Ramban account for a significant share of encroached land. Jammu district alone has over 1.45 lakh kanals under illegal occupation. In the Kashmir division, districts such as Bandipora, Baramulla and Pulwama have also reported substantial encroachments, particularly on state-owned land.
Encroachment on forest land remains a concern from an environmental perspective. Rajouri has reported the highest forest land encroachment, followed by Reasi and Ramban. In the Kashmir region, districts including Anantnag, Budgam and Shopian-Pulwama have also recorded notable cases. In total, forest land encroachment is estimated to be over 5,800 hectares.
To address the issue, joint enforcement drives are being carried out by the Forest Department along with the Forest Protection Force and local police authorities. Officials have stated that new encroachment attempts are being identified at an early stage and action is being taken to prevent further expansion. At the same time, steps such as re-surveying forest boundaries using Differential GPS technology and strengthening ground-level monitoring are being implemented to improve accuracy in land records and enforcement.
The administration has also initiated awareness campaigns in villages located near forest areas to discourage illegal occupation and inform residents about legal consequences. In parallel, efforts are being made to clean up revenue records by removing entries linked to encroached land, which is expected to support long-term land management.
The issue of land encroachment in Jammu and Kashmir is not new and has been under scrutiny for several years. Earlier controversies, including those related to the Roshni Act, had already raised concerns about misuse and transfer of state land. These past developments continue to influence current efforts to improve transparency and accountability in land ownership records.
The matter is also under judicial review, with the Jammu and Kashmir High Court monitoring the progress of eviction drives through a public interest litigation. Authorities are required to submit regular updates, which has added an additional layer of oversight to the ongoing process.
Source PTI
5th Jun, 2025
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