Responds to green tribunal notice over proposed range in Budgam
The non-availability of suitable firing ranges has compelled the Army to train its men outside the state, “adversely” impacting the working of the force in Kashmir.
This has been disclosed by the Army in an affidavit to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), New Delhi, in response to the notices issued by the tribunal over the proposal for allowing the Army to set up an artillery firing range in a forest area of Bajpathri in central Kashmir’s Budgam district. The NGT had also issued a notice to the J&K Government.
“The Government of Jammu and Kashmir offered the area of Bajpathri for notifying as an alternative field range. The detailed study and reconnaissance was carried out by the Army along with the Air Force followed by a joint study with the state government authorities to study the requirement of
land, impact on the environment and the effect on tourism.
“The final decision to notify the ranges will be that of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir,” read the affidavit filed by the Ministry of
Defence through its respondent Col Vinod S, officiating Brigadier, General Staff (Training) Headquarters, Northern Command, last week.
The petition against the proposal for the firing range in Bajpathri was moved in the tribunal by social activist Raja Muzaffar Bhat in February. The petitioner stated that “if field firing and artillery practice is allowed in Bajpathri, it will endanger the lives of people living in scores of villages adjoining the area with a disastrous impact on the environment and the wildlife habitat.” The proposal for setting up the firing range in Bajpathri in the meadows of the picturesque Yousmarg tourist destination had evoked strong resentment.
In 2014, the Army had vacated the Tosa Maidan firing range spread over 11,200.477 hectares in Budgam district and since then it has been asking the J&K Government to allot an alternative place for the field firing range.
The Army said there was a requirement of a field firing range in the Kashmir region. “As on date, a large number of restrictions have been imposed on the Indian Army with respect to the availability of ranges in J&K. Whereas our adversary on the western border is not constrained by any such restrictions and has a number of ranges available to it. Similarly, our adversary on the eastern front has unfettered access to firing ranges. This is likely to have an adverse impact on the preparedness of our armed forces vis-a-vis our adversaries,” its affidavit read.
The Army said the non-availability of a range in the Kashmir region has now compelled it to move the heavy equipment to far-off ranges at Babina in Madhya Pradesh and Mahajan in Rajasthan.
“The non-availability of suitable ranges in the Kashmir theatre of operations had an adverse impact and serious implications on the internal and external security,” the Army stated, adding that it was facing major problems in the absence of the firing ranges.
“Apart from the expenditure on fuel, oil and lubricants, the movement to alternative ranges results in depletion in manning levels of the counter-infiltration, counter-terrorism grid deployment affecting the internal security.”
The Army said the levels of retaliation to ceasefire violations had reduced due to the non-availability of essential weapons and war-like stores for a prolonged duration. It would also affect the military response to the threat posed by our adversaries due to the time required for transporting the equipment.
The affidavit stated that Rs 43 crore had to be expended on the movement of the troops for training outside J&K.
