Protests in Kashmir over lease agreement of firing range

Protests were held here on Wednesday asking the state government not to extend lease agreement of Tosa Maidan, a picturesque place used by Indian army for artillery exercise.

Tosa Maidan, famous for its meadows located in the central district of Budgam in Jammu and Kashmir, was leased to Indian Army for setting up a firing range in 1964.

Hundreds of protesters, including members of civil society, shouted slogans against the extension of the lease, which is ending on April 18.

"The world opinion is that 'Tosa Maidan' is 10 times beautiful than Gulmarg. So, how can somebody use it for artillery exercises, it is beyond somebody's perception, somebody's imagination. I think this is a big question for the environmentalists and civil society formations in India. They should look into it, how it has happened. The valley consists of springs, pastures, meadows, flora and fauna. This has been vandalised because of this artillery shelling," said chairman of civil society of Jammu and Kashmir, Shakeel Qalander.

Indian Army has asked the state government to re-notify the 11200 hectares of Tosa Maidan land as a firing range till 2034.

Earlier, the state government had stated that the army would be allotted alternative land for a firing range, but the army stated that they would vacate only after an alternative range is allotted.