Srinagar: The Central Reserve Police Force has termed the proposed decision to construct a base on hundreds of kanals of land in the eco-fragile Zabarwan hills of Jammu and Kashmir’s capital Srinagar as a “national security” issue.In an affidavit to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the CRPF has said that the proposed base which many fear will damage the Dachigam National Park and cause displacement and dispossession of livelihood resources for hundreds of residents “serves a larger public interest by ensuring peace, stability and security” in Kashmir.At least 1,324 kanals (a kanal is one-eighth of an acre) of land in the protected conservation reserve in the girdle of Zabarwan hills – which is home to the endangered Kashmiri hangul, Asiatic Bear and other rare flora and fauna – were identified in a letter by the CRPF last year to set up a consolidated base for its 61st, 79th, 117th and 132nd battalions.The issue had sparked a major controversy in Kashmir last year with the ruling National Conference as well as concerned citizens urging the Union government to stall the project.Land requirement increasesHowever, official documents show that the force has now increased the land requirement from 1,324 kanals to 1,668 kanals which comprises state land, shamilaat and mehfooz kahcharie land titles for nine battalions and an office for the CRPF’s deputy inspector general.Admitting that proposed base was located in a “greenbelt” area and a “no construction zone”, the CRPF has asserted that it will obtain “necessary approvals or relaxations for essential security infrastructure from competent planning authorities, as required, based on the overriding national security imperative”.Following the reading down of Article 370 in 2019, the army and paramilitary forces can mark any land parcel in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir as “strategic” and take it over without government permission or the assent of land holders.This has become possible after the Jammu and Kashmir administration amended the J&K Development Act a year after Article 370 was read down, following which a circular making local assent mandatory for acquiring land was also withdrawn.A government spokesperson had in 2020 said that the amendment “has nothing to do with the transfer of any land to the armed forces.”A herd of Hangul (Kashmiri stag) in Dachigam. Photo: Tahirshawl/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0‘Strategic considerations’However, defending its decision, the CRPF told the green court in an affidavit on December 18, 2025 that these battalions were at present housed in “dispersed and often inadequate rented accommodations” which “poses significant logistical challenges, increases vulnerability and hinders effective operational deployment and training”.“A consolidated base camp is essential for enhancing rapid response capabilities, ensuring troop welfare, and contributing significantly to regional stability and national security,” the affidavit states, while asserting that the land in question has been identified on “strategic considerations”.The central force has said that the “operational efficiency derived from a dedicated base camp directly translates into enhanced security for the residents of Jammu & Kashmir”.Rejecting the claims by locals who approached the green court against the construction of the base, the CRPF said that it has made “initial request” to the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir for land acquisition but the “process was still pending with the concerned authorities”.The force has also accused the locals of “impeding a project of national importance without concrete evidence of environmental non- compliance (while) relying instead on anticipatory fears”.Locals’ fearsEnvironmentalists in Kashmir have warned that changing the land use pattern of a designated green zone in the heart of Srinagar could damage the eco-fragile hills situated in the lap of the western Himalayas.Besides environmental costs, 49 families in Brien are likely to lose their land under the proposed CRPF base, according to the court documents.In their petition, a group of locals told the tribunal last year that 1,324 kanals of eco-fragile land under survey number 2744 in Srinagar have been identified in Brein, a cluster of congested localities in the lap of Zabarwan hills, and 50,000 trees could be felled to pave the way for the CRPF base.The area falls in the catchment area of the Dachigam National Park, a protected conservation reserve where construction and other human activities have been banned under Wildlife Protection Act 1972, National Forest Policy 1988, Srinagar Master Plan-2035 and other environmental laws and guidelines.However, terming the claims of locals as “premature and speculative” as the land “has not yet been acquired”, the CRPF has said that it was “fully committed to upholding all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. including those pertaining to environmental protection and sustainable development” while reiterating its commitment to building the base.The tribunal has been informed that the land acquisition process will be carried out under the Jammu and Kashmir Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition act, Rehabilitation and Re-Settlement (Social Impact Assessment and Consent) Rules, environmental and urban development regulations, Srinagar Master Plan 2015-2035 and other rules and guidelines governing wildlife protection.“Comprehensive studies are being undertaken to ensure that the project does not negatively affect the hydrological regime or ecological balance of ecologically sensitive areas such as Dachigam National Park and Dal Lake,” the affidavit states.While the affidavit suggests that the “national security imperative” could be invoked to acquire the land, the CRPF has told the tribunal that it shall obtain “all necessary permissions, clearances, and no objection certificates” from “relevant expert agencies and regulatory bodies” before constructing the base.