The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday informed the Legislative Assembly that it has identified 256 illegal occupants along the floodplain of the Tawi River in the Nikki Tawi area of Jammu district, with encroachment spread over 328 kanals and 15 marlas of prime land.
Described as the “oxygen chamber” of Jammu for its lush green cover, Nikki Tawi, nestled between two channels of the Tawi River and spread across more than 5,000 kanals of prime land, is increasingly coming under pressure from illegal constructions triggered by large-scale encroachments.
While responding to a question raised by BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa in the Assembly, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the details were submitted before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in connection with an ongoing case concerning alleged environmental degradation of the river.
As per the official reply, the response regarding the issue is pending since the case is listed for hearing in the NGT in New Delhi on April 24, 2026.
The deputy commissioner has submitted details of encroachments on the river’s flood plains before the tribunal, identifying 256 illegal occupants under certain Khasra numbers, he added.
Omar said that the “revenue records suggest that there are no records available in the official records.”
He said that the quantum of land encroached upon is 328 kanals 15 marlas. “Further, during flash floods, 17 houses were fully washed away, and no loss of human life has been reported.”
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