Jammu: In a sign of a boom in the tourism sector in J&K, up to 415 building permissions were issued by tourism development authorities (TDAs) in 2025–26, exceeding the combined total of the preceding two financial years.
Overall, 807 building permissions were granted between 2023 and 2026 in the Union territory, according to official data.
The TDAs also identified over 500 unauthorised constructions across key tourist destinations in the past three financial years, with authorities issuing notices, lodging FIRs, imposing penalties and carrying out demolitions.
Quoting available data, the tourism department officials said 245 building permissions were granted by TDAs in 2023-24, 147 in 2024-25 and 415 in 2025-26.
The permissions included 544 residential houses, 121 commercial buildings, 26 hotels, 14 huts and two guest houses over the three-year period.
As for homestays, 2,613 units have been registered by the Tourism Department across Jammu and Kashmir, with a total bed capacity of 19,328, the officials said.
They said the Bhaderwah in Jammu division accounted for the highest number of illegal constructions at 358, with authorities serving notices to the violators.
Doodhpathri in Kashmir reported 147 unauthorised constructions, with notices issued and FIRs registered, while in Pahalgam, 13 of the 28 illegal structures were sealed, and action is underway against the rest, the officials said.
The famous ski resort of Gulmarg reported 21 illegal structures — 20 sealed and one demolished — while five violations were identified in Sonamarg and four unauthorised constructions were penalised in Verinag in the Kashmir valley, the officials said.
They said 15 illegal structures were demolished and several others were halted at the initial stages in Patnitop in the Jammu region.
The officials said a GIS-based inventory of authorised constructions is being maintained by the chief town planner’s office in areas with approved master plans, including Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg.
In other TDAs, while a comprehensive GIS-based inventory is yet to be developed, geo-coordinates of proposed assets are mandatorily obtained before issuing permissions or no-objection certificates, ensuring spatial monitoring and regulatory oversight, the officials said.
