Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah speaks in the Assembly in Srinagar on September 28, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Two conversations about the Himalayas are running at the same time, and they are not converging. Everyone agrees that mountain towns are reaching their limits in different ways, springs are drying up, lakes are choking, and slopes are giving way. No hill town should approve large construction before measuring what it can carry. Yet the developmental model is running parallel. Recent notifications and bills in Jammu and Kashmir are making it easier to build more, on more land. Srinagar is being overwhelmed by that.

Let us start with a simple idea. Floor Area Ratio (FAR) determines how much floor space can be built on a plot. On a 100-square-metre plot, an FAR of 200% allows 200 square metres of floor space. When the number is raised, the same plot must hold more people, cars, toilets, drains, etc. Over nine months, the rules have been repeatedly changed. The building by-laws were amended on December 1, 2025. On July 24, 2026, they were extended to Housing Board colonies, with additional FAR and reduced setbacks. On September 9, fresh limits were proposed, including an FAR of 300% for commercial complexes. On September 28, the Ease of Doing Business Bill, 2026, was tabled. In the first week of October, the Lieutenant Governor gave his assent, and the Bill became law.

Published – November 10, 2026 12:52 am IST