‘Kashmir valley tops with 27,942 encroachments; Anantnag Div further ahead with 14,902 cases’

Srinagar, Oct 27: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Monday revealed that over 19,501 hectares of forest land are under illegal occupation across the Union Territory as of September 30, 2025.

The Minister in charge of the Forest, Ecology, and Environment Department, Javed Rana, informed that a total of 27,712 cases of encroachment have been identified in the Kashmir region alone, covering 5,891.49 hectares of forest land.

The data shared by the government in response to MLA Dr Narinder Singh Raina’s query, shows that the highest number of encroachments were reported from the South Circle, including divisions such as Anantnag, Lidder, Shopian, Kulgam, and Awantipora, with 14,902 cases involving

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