Cutting through Rajwar: How a road to Bangus exposed glaring environmental violations in Kashmir

BANGUS IS A small, mesmerizing valley perched at an altitude of 3,000 metres near the Line of Control (LOC) in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district. Located roughly 120 kilometres from Srinagar, this highland pasture is encircled by thick forests of Deodar, Kail, and Fir trees that have stood for centuries. For generations, local pastoralists – Gujjars and Chopans – undertook seasonal migration to Bangus along with their sheep, goats, and cattle during summer months. 

After the onset of militancy in Kashmir post-1989, the area was closed for several years. By the mid-1990s, the pastoralist communities were allowed to return with their livestock. From 2010, civilians too were permitted access and Bangus gradually became a local offbeat tourist destination for people across Kupwara, Baramulla and Bandipora. By 2015, visitors were arriving from Srinagar and beyond, and in recent years, tourists from outside Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) have also been visiting Bangus.

It is precisely this growing popularity that appears to have made Bangus a target for what critics describe as corruption dressed up as development.