Srinagar, April 10 -- Land is the foundation of life. It feeds us, shelters us, sustains our economies, and forms the very identity of a place. But in Kashmir, land is under siege. Not by foreign powers or natural disasters, but by the greed and short-sightedness of its own people and policymakers.

The lush fields that once grew saffron, paddy, and almonds are being swallowed by an unchecked industrial explosion, urban sprawl, and infrastructure projects.

Kashmir's total agricultural land has shrunk from 467,700 hectares in 2015 to just 389,000 hectares today. That's a staggering loss of land in the last 10 years alone-of nearly 78,700 hectares (17%)-that could have fed generations. Given this land conversion trend, Kashmir may witness ...