SRINAGAR: Stating that the firing has devastated biodiversity by filling the area with all sorts of military waste that includes unexploded bomb fragments, shells and heaps of waste material generated by military exercise and heavy artillery shelling, KCDS has expressed a grave concern announcing a protest programme against Tosa maidan lease agreement on Wednesday.
KCDS held a round table conference in which tourist and trade bodies besides tosamaidan bacho front in which the participants said that Tosamaidan is under the control of Army since 1964 and as such prohibited for human activities. The area has regularly been used for firing drills by Indian army and air force that has so far killed 63 persons and caused permanent disability to 43 persons.
Although the lease of Tosamaidan had ended in 2004, yet it was extended for further 10 years by the state government in contravention to the Forest Conservation Act 1997, reads the statement.
The participants remarked that firing drills have devastated biodiversity by filling the area with all sorts of military waste that includes unexploded bomb fragments, shells and heaps of waste material generated by military exercise and heavy artillery shelling. Besides environment, these activities have also badly impacted the agriculture, education, health and economy of the local population.
Massive deforestation, soil erosion, landslides and disappearance of fauna and flora (unique medicinal plants in particular) are a few among other consequences of this army exercise.
The round table also observed that water flowed through various tributaries and springs of the area is apprehended to be contaminated with toxic military waste and thereby causing a serious threat to a large population provided with such water.
Hurriyat holding seminar
The Hurriyat Conference (M) Monday described the plans of the government to extend the lease of Tosa Maidan as an anti-people act and an attempt to strengthen and perpetuate the Armys hold on Kashmir.
According to a statement a spokesman of the Hurriyat (M) he said that thousands of acres of land have been occupied by the army including even the land at the world famous tourist resorts of Kashmir which has resulted in vandalizing the land besides causing the loss of natural beauty and environmental degradation at these places.
The spokesman further said that in connection with the protest campaign started by All Parties Hurriyat Conference against the extension of lease of Tosa Maidan under a clandestine understanding between the state government and the army a seminar has been organized at the Head Office of the Hurriyat Conference on April 16, 2014 Wednesday at 10:30 AM under the Chairmanship of Mirwaiz Dr. Molvi Mohammad Umar Farooq on under the topic.
Military concentration, shame elections, Tosa Maidan lease Reflection of Indias imperialistic designs Besides others, prominent intellectuals, environmental experts and legal luminaries are expected to present their views in line with the topic before the audience. Meanwhile APHC has dispatched the copy of the Open letter addressed to the people of India by Chairman APHC to all Ambassadors and High Commissioners stationed in New Delhi.
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