Srinagar, Jan 24 (KNS): Welcoming the Government decision to create tourism development authority for Tosamaidan, Tosamaidan Bachao Front (TBF) said that before planning development of the meadow as tourist spot its environmental impact assessment needs to be carried out, and those officials responsible for its environmental vandalization should be brought to book.
Dr. Shaikh Ghulam Rasool, founder and chief Patron of TBF said that in TosaMaidan the community driven adventure and rural tourism (CDART) can be nourished only when basic right to life is ensured.
"The underlying question is whom to transmit tourism for when the basic people living there and who might be beneficiaries of tourism in Tosamaidan are practically vulnerable to damage and threat. Ensuring right to life is prime, everything else including development follows," Dr Rasool said.
He added that as history stands witness all the tourism development authorities in the state have brought in place an unprecedented destruction to the environment, ecology and flora & fauna.
"Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Sonmarg and rest of the designated tourism spots clearly bring out the naked truth. Therefore, before any further ‘development authorities’ are established and finalized, the government must revisit the past strategies, environmental impact assessment needs to be carried out, uncovering the elements of environmental vandalization and the officials responsible be brought to book," Dr Rasool said.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
While the vital demands made by us are yet to be taken that includes compensating widows, disabled and community at large, development authority is merely an eye-wash if compensation factor is ignored, Program Coordinator TBF, Nazir Ahmed Lone, said.
Molvi Maqbool, General Secretary TBF said since the spirit of CDAR tourism lies in the community itself, our demands as TBF include compensation to the victims and community to be ensured that before the Tosamaidan development authority they will be involved in its formation and functioning and representation of victims, women and tribals must be guaranteed in TDA.
"Assets declaration of the officials who will be appointed in TDA from government side, ecology and environment to be treated as priority, proactive disclosure under Section-4 of J&K RTI Act of tourism department (including fund allocation and policy decisions).
The main Sarpanches and managing body of TBF Ghulam Mohiuddin, Manzoor Ahmed Rather, Molvi Maqbool, Mohd Akram Sheikh and Mohd Maqbool Tantray warned government of J&K and Tourism department of ill-consequences if any untoward move was ever played in the execution of the community driven model in Tosamaidan and surrounding villages.
"Together we all have formed TBF not only to vacate firing range from TosaMaidan, but to protect ecology and environment, and let community have all the control over policies and operation in TosaMaidan.” (KNS)