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2 min readNew DelhiFeb 19, 2026 05:42 PM IST
Ambani referred to the undertaking given by Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi on his behalf on February 4, 2026, that he will not leave the country without the court’s permission. (File image)
Northern Railways is undertaking the “final location survey” for four new railway lines in the Kashmir Valley, the Jammu and Kashmir Government said on Thursday in the Legislative Assembly here.
The proposed lines include Baramulla–Uri, Sopore–Kupwara, Anantnag–Bijbihara–Pahalgam and Kakapora–Shopian, it was informed in a written reply to a question by National Conference MLA Javid Hassan Baig.
Pointing out that the alignment of these lines has been finalised in consultation with the concerned district administrations, the government said the land requirement for the projects has been assessed.
Regarding steps to prevent large-scale diversion or fragmentation of fertile agricultural land and compensation for affected farmers, it said landowners will be duly compensated as per applicable law for acquisition of land, trees and structures during project execution, if these are sanctioned by the Government of India.
Following sanction by the Government of India, all mitigation measures will be taken as per environmental policy and latest guidelines to address issues such as deforestation, soil erosion, water resource disruption and ecological imbalance, it said.
The government added that coordination with the Government of India and Indian Railways will be maintained during execution to ensure mitigation measures are implemented to minimise social and environmental impact.
The concerned district administrations will remain involved during the execution stage to address local concerns and ensure adherence to prescribed norms for environmental and social safeguards, it added.
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However, earlier this month, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had announced the Centre’s decision to put off three proposed railway projects in Kashmir to prevent damage to orchards along the proposed routes.
This followed intervention by the Jammu and Kashmir Government and local MPs, who recommended against construction of the proposed lines between Kakapora–Pulwama and Shopian district, besides Bijbehara and Pahalgam.
In response to a question in the Lok Sabha, the Railways had stated in December 2023 that surveys had been sanctioned for three new lines — Sopore–Kupwara (33.7 km), Awantipora-Shopian (27.6 km) and Anantnag-Bijbehara–Pahalgam (77.5 km).
However, as these lines were planned through the districts of Shopian and Anantnag, apple farmers had begun protesting, objecting to the felling of trees.
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