Sajad Hameed
Three persons have been injured in a mysterious blast at Tosamaidan, an old artillery training area of army, in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Tuesday.
A Police official confirming the incident to The Kashmiriyat said that, a mysterious blast occurred at Tosa Maidan area today afternoon in which three people sustained injuries, one of them has been injured critically, who has been shifted to Srinagar for advanced treatment.
A top campaigner for Tosa Maidan evacuation prior to 2014 said, the ground had been cleansed by the Indian Army, however a couple of blasts have taken place since the evacuation, in which two people have died.
The Locals feel there is a conspiracy behind the blasts, suspecting that the Army is wanting to reuse the ground for military purposes.
“In this blast, three persons suffered injuries and have been taken to nearby Primary Health Centre where the condition of one among them is said to be critical,” the said.
“A police team visited the spot and the nature of blast is being ascertained,” A police officer said.
Tosamaidan was used by the army as an artillery training area for many years up to 2014 and in 2016 it was thrown open for public.
In 2017, an official Tosamaidan Development Authority (TDA) was established with the objective of ‘developing’ the area mindful of its ecological and cultural attributes. A budget of Rs. 40 crores (400 million) was approved for this; refreshingly.
Tosa Maidan, spread over 11,200 hectares of forest land about 45 km from Srinagar, bears grim reminders of the past. Since 1964, when the Army moved in, 63 civilians, mainly shepherds and children, lost their limbs during crossfire practice till 2016.