{"id":192797,"date":"2026-01-18T09:51:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-18T04:51:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/?p=192797"},"modified":"2026-01-18T09:51:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T04:51:19","slug":"apple-farmers-once-again-raise-voice-against-controversial-railway-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/2026\/01\/18\/apple-farmers-once-again-raise-voice-against-controversial-railway-project.html","title":{"rendered":"Apple farmers once again raise voice against controversial railway project"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Srinagar: Apple farmers in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir\u2019s Pulwama and Shopian districts have once again raised strong objections to a proposed railway line project, warning that it threatens to devastate their orchards and destroy their only means of livelihood.<\/p>\n

According to Kashmir Media Service, survey work for the project has already begun, with authorities erecting marking pillars across several villages without consulting local communities. The move has triggered widespread anger among growers, who say the project reflects New Delhi\u2019s disregard for Kashmiri economic and environmental concerns.<\/p>\n

Raja Abdul Waheed, a member of the District Development Council from Shopian, said the proposed alignment would cause irreparable damage to the region\u2019s horticulture sector. \u201cIf this project is implemented, more than five lakh apple trees will be destroyed,\u201d he said. \u201cThe railway line will pass through multiple villages and even threaten protected Chinar trees, which are part of Kashmir\u2019s natural and cultural heritage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Local residents said the Modi regime is prioritizing destructive infrastructure projects over the welfare of Kashmiris. Ghulam Ahmad Wani, an apple grower from Pulwama, said the orchards are the backbone of thousands of families. \u201cThis is our only source of income,\u201d he said. \u201cDestroying these orchards means pushing entire families into financial ruin.\u201d<\/p>\n

The proposed railway line has also drawn criticism from political figures. Shabbir Ahmad Kullay, a Member of the Legislative Assembly from Shopian, termed the project a \u201cdisaster for horticulture in the region,\u201d warning that it would cripple Kashmir\u2019s apple economy, which supports lakhs of people directly and indirectly.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti criticized Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for maintaining silence on the issue. She said the lack of response reflects the authorities\u2019 continued apathy towards the genuine concerns of Kashmiris and their livelihoods.<\/p>\n

Farmers have vowed to continue their protest, demanding immediate suspension of the project and meaningful consultation with affected communities, warning that any attempt to force the project through will meet strong resistance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Srinagar: Apple farmers in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir\u2019s Pulwama and Shopian districts have once again raised strong objections to a proposed railway line project, warning that it threatens to devastate their orchards and destroy their only means of livelihood. According to Kashmir Media Service, survey work for the project has already begun, with …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":192798,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[5],"class_list":["post-192797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indian-occupied-jammu-and-kashmir","tag-top-story"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/assests\/2026\/01\/Pulwama-Apple-formers.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=192797"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192797\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":192799,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192797\/revisions\/192799"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/192798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=192797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=192797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=192797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}