J&K: Ruling NC MLA’s Bill Seeks To Approve Eco-Homes For Lake Dwellers In Kashmir
Ruling party legislator Tanvir Sadiq to introduce bills addressing eco-housing and urban planning challenges in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly session starting March 27.
Published : March 25, 2026 at 7:13 PM IST
Srinagar: Two private members’ bills are set to be presented in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, including one seeking eco-friendly housing for residents of the iconic Dal Lake and nearby lakes in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
Ruling National Conference (NC) legislator Tanvir Sadiq, representing the Zadibal constituency, will introduce two bills titled ‘The Right to Dignified Eco-Housing in Lakeside Areas Bill, 2026’ and ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Urban Commission Bill, 2026’, during the second phase of the Assembly session, which will resume on Friday (March 27).
In Kashmir, hundreds of families rely on Dal Lake and nearby lakes, Nigeen, Khushalsar, Gilsar, and Anchar, for their livelihood, but face challenges from regulations and encroachment. Some were relocated by previous governments to Srinagar’s outskirts at Rak-e-Arth, which caused multiple problems for them, including social disruption and significant loss of livelihood.
“We were promised sky when we were shifted to this colony in 2014,” said an aged resident of Rak-e-Arth, who ferries people in his boat to cross the Jhelum River at Srinagar’s The Bund. “But since then, many sold their plots or houses and shifted back to the lake because our rozgaar (livelihood) is tied to the water. We are skilled only in rowing boats or guiding tourists.”
However, the draft legislation aims to fill the “policy vacuum” to legally guarantee the right to dignified, eco-friendly housing for the lake residents.
The draft bill proposes a regulated framework allowing residents to construct, upgrade or repair homes using eco-friendly materials while strictly prohibiting pollution, untreated sewage discharge and encroachment on water bodies.
It proposes setting up a Lakeside Eco-Housing Authority, which will ensure time-bound approvals through a single-window system and provide technical support, particularly to economically weaker sections in and around these water bodies.
“The legislation replaces uncertainty and illegality with a transparent, scientific and rights-based framework,” said the draft.
Sadiq’s second bill, titled ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Urban Commission Bill, 2026', is seeking to establish a dedicated statutory body, the Urban Commission, to ready a 25-year roadmap for urban development in Jammu and Kashmir with a focus on decongestion, sustainable infrastructure and scientific planning.
The panel will be meant to bring together experts in urban planning, environment, transport and heritage conservation and will have powers to seek data from government departments and consult stakeholders.
“Its recommendations will be placed before the Assembly with a mandatory action taken report within six months,” Sadiq said.
The draft legislation follows growing concerns over unplanned expansion, traffic congestion, lack of waste management and pressure on civic infrastructure in urban capitals such as Srinagar and Jammu, according to him.
The bill mimics institutional approaches explored in cities like Kochi in Kerala, where integrated urban planning bodies streamline development and coordinate between multiple agencies.
“The idea is to move away from ad hoc decision-making to a structured, long-term planning framework,” he added.
The upcoming session of the J&K Assembly will see over 70 bills, but their passage is unlikely, as private bills rarely pass. In J&K, only three private bills have been passed in the last four decades.
But among the proposed bills that have gained a spotlight is the Land Grants Act bill that is aimed at repealing the Land Grant Rules 2022, notified during the Lieutenant Governor’s rule in J&K. The eviction carried out under the Land Grants Rules 2022 was likely to affect a large number of locals, mainly those who own hotels at tourist places.
Besides, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Para’s proposed legislation of adding two new administrative divisions in Chenab and Pirpanjal and 16 new districts in Jammu and Kashmir has also stirred debate.
Currently, the Union Territory has only two administrative divisions, including Jammu and Kashmir and 20 districts. But the NC has termed Para’s bill as a "mockery", as the PDP lacks strength in the House.
“As always, PDP MLAs are trying to mislead people of J&K in the name of Private Member Bills. You need 46 MLAs to pass a Bill, not 3 or 4 MLAs,” said NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar.
He said the PDP’s bill falls at serial no. 58 “and won’t come up before 2028, let alone pass”.
“Unfortunately, PDP drama-obsessed MLAs have turned the House into a social-media stage. They never have and never will contribute anything good to people of J&K,” Dar added.
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