Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that proposed railway projects through South Kashmir have been halted due to the possibility of damage to seven lakh apple trees. The proposed lines Sopore-Kupwara, Awantipora-Shopian and Anantnag-Bijbehara-Pahalgam fell under major apple-producing regions. Farmers had launched protests like the Chipko Movement, hugging apple trees as a mark of protest.