Srinagar- Tosa Maidan, a historically significant meadow in the Budgam district of Kashmir, located at a distance of 45 kms from Srinagar city is becoming hard to reach for both locals and tourists because of bad roads.
Locals say the scenic spot has great potential for tourism, but the poor road infrastructure makes it difficult for anyone to visit.
Locals who tried to visit the meadow expressed their frustration with the road conditions when speaking to Kashmir Observer. Bashir Ahmad, a resident of Srinagar said the journey to Tosa Maidan is a nightmare.
“We have asked the authorities to fix the roads for years, but nothing has changed. Tourists want to come, but when they hear about the bad roads, they turn back halfway.” Ahmad said.
Abdul Majid, another local who often travels with his family, also expressed his disappointment.
“Tosa Maidan has a beautiful meadow, but we can’t enjoy it. Tourists struggle to reach the meadow and end up turning back due to the risky roads. It is sad to see such a great place being ignored.” Majid said.
Tourists visiting Kashmir share the same feeling. Rajeev Sharma, a tourist from Delhi, said, “We planned to spend a day at Tosa Maidan, but the roads were so bad we had to cancel our trip. Government should focus on developing the tourist infrastructure there”
Pertinently, the Tosa Maidan holds great historical and cultural value and was once a strategic site used by the Mughals during their military expeditions. Later, the Indian Army used it as a firing range until 2014. After the army left, locals hoped the area would become a popular tourist destination.
With its green fields and stunning views of the mountains, Tosa Maidan has always been admired for its natural beauty. But now, the bad condition of the roads makes it almost impossible for people to reach this hidden gem.
In recent years, the government has made many promises to fix the roads and make Tosa Maidan more accessible, but not much has been done. Ghulam Hassan, a shopkeeper in the nearby village of Arizal, said, “It’s not just about tourists; it’s about us locals too. The road is so bad that even emergency services can’t reach us easily. In winter, we are completely cut off. The government has forgotten about us.”
Pertinently it was in 1964, the Indian Army leased land in Tosa Maidan for artillery drills. For the next 50 years, the meadow echoed with the sounds of explosions from May to October. When the army fired rockets, grenades, and mortar shells, unexploded shells were left scattered across the area.
It was at the centre of a controversy when locals demanded the shifting out of the firing range following the expiry of the lease in April 2014
Following public outcry, in 2014, Lt Gen Subrata Saha, Corps Commander of the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps led the 83-day-long operation Falah’ cleared the firing range in this famous meadow with the army saying that it had totally demined the 69-sq.km area.
However, despite government plans to turn Tosa Maidan into a major tourist destination, the bad road conditions remain a huge problem. Tourism players say with proper roads, Tosa Maidan could attract tourists for adventure sports, trekking, and eco-tourism.
Many locals, mainly shepherds and woodcutters, use the meadow for grazing and firewood. Over the years, rains and landslides have carried the shells down to nearby villages, putting even more people at risk but the Army cleared the meadow of shells.
Speaking to Kashmir Observer, the Chief Engineer R&B Sajad Naqeeb said that work on the road is finally happening and is progressing well. However, the complete macadamization process will take time.
“The 14-kilometer-long road is under construction, with seven kilometers already completed. Approved under NABARD in 2019, the project started only this year and will take another year to finish.”
He assured that pre-macadamization work would be done, but the road will be fully usable next year, once temperatures rise again.
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