Srinagar: Residents of Brien, a village nestled in the Zabarwan hills of Srinagar, have approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT) opposing the Union government’s plan to build a new Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) base near Dachigam National Park. The petitioners say the project violates environmental laws and threatens both their livelihoods and a fragile Himalayan ecosystem.
The proposed base covers around 1,324 kanals of land under survey no. 2744 in Brien. Locals allege that more than 50,000 trees are marked for felling to make way for camps of four CRPF battalions. They argue that the site falls in the catchment area of Dachigam, a protected conservation reserve under the Wildlife Protection Act, National Forest Policy, and Srinagar Master Plan 2035.
Home to the endangered Kashmir Hangul, Dachigam Park is one of the last surviving habitats of this rare deer species. Environmentalists warn that construction in this zone will destroy forest cover, disturb wildlife, and increase the risk of floods and landslides.
Residents had earlier moved the Jammu and Kashmir High Court claiming violations of their fundamental rights, but withdrew the petition after assurances from the CRPF. Fresh red markings at the site, however, have revived fears of displacement.
Environmentalists and civil society groups, including the Group of Concerned Citizens, have urged the government to relocate the base. They say the Zabarwan hills are too sensitive for such large-scale construction and call for an alternate, eco-safe site.
