SRINAGAR: Adventure Tour Operators Association of Kashmir (ATOAK) and J&K Ski and Mountaineering Association (JKSMA) in a joint meeting held at Srinagar took a strong note of Army Firing Range proposed to come up at Bojpathri in Yusmarg area of Kashmir.
We are dismayed to learn that the army is asking for the permission to build a firing range in the vicinity of world famous tourist resort of Yusmarg, a joint press communiqué said here today. This virgin and pristine area will face enormously environmental degradation if such a plan is implemented.
President ATOAK, Rauf Tramboo who presided over the meeting said the move will prove environmentally disastrous as this virgin place is very fragile, the Karewa land beneath this mountain range which is holding the entire weight of solid rock face of Pir Panjal Mountains will also get affected besides it will prove harmful to the water bodies, horticulture and agricultural land of this area thus directly affecting a large population living in this area.
The move will also damage the tourism departments plans to promote this area for Adventure and Pilgrim tourism, the adventure tour operators who have been selling this area for different adventure activities for both summer and winter will face cancellations of current bookings and this area will be total loss for any future adventure tourism activities, beside Pilgrim tourism will also get blow as the area is famous for many revered shrines at Chari Sharief and Pakhar Pora, he said.
Tourism and presence of army in the pristine areas for whatever purposes cant go together, ATOAK and JKSMA urges the government to desist from any such move as this misadventure can prove disastrous not only to society at large but it will affect environmentally and culturally to every other place of Kashmir valley.
ATOAK and JKSMA together will fight tooth and nail if any such a plan is implemented at Bojpathri or any other place in Jammu and Kashmir, we have already suffered a lot and will not allow anyone to vandalise our ecology, environment and resources
Meanwhile, J&K RTI movement vociferously opposed the Government’s proposal to shift firing range to Bajpathri-Yousmarg.
Founding Chairman JKRTIM and Chief Patron of Tossamaidan Bachao Front, Dr Shaikh Ghulam Rasool stated, we reject such a devastating move by the government, where human life and environment is under a constant threat.
Dr Shaikh, in his statement said, we will launch a strong campaign against this decision and will support the Save Yousmarg campaign, to further deepen the mission.
We fail to understand why is the government so adamant to make human life even more vulnerable, when the consequences of putting up a firing range in Tossamaidan, have been already witnessed. Wherein, 65 people lost their lives and over 300 people are permanently disabled.
Devastation of flora and fauna, biodiversity and various water bodies is so immense that it will continue to impact our future generations, he said.
He added, shifting the firing range to Yousmarg, does implicate much devastation than was caused by TosaMaidan.
Prima facie, it means threat to the thousands of families of Nomadic tribes and their livestock. Second, it will have impact (ranging from severe to mild) on atleast six districts of J&K. Third, the irrigation and drinking water schemes of Frasnag and Doodhganga will be contaminated and wrecked down in the long run. And last but not the least, it means hammering down the Tourism industry, as many tourism destination stay nearby.
The RTI activists harshly criticised government’s anti people policies and said, we will not allow Government/Army to ruin our people, our land, our forests and our Environment.
People of Tosamaidan will also stand in close cooperation with the inhabitants of Yousmarg, as every Kashmiri stood with them, when they fought the battle against Tosamaidan firing range, said Dr Shaikh.
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