Armymen find firing practice 'out of range'

SECUNDERABAD:

Army personnel

have been unable to practice

long-range rifle

shooting in the city due to lack of sprawling ranges. The existing ranges are sufficient for short-range practice, but firing at a distance is not possible with several habitations springing up in their vicinity.

While thousands of army personnel used to take training in archery and firearms till a few years ago, the practice has been curtailed to just 'short-range firearms' in recent times.

According to the records of the Defence Estates Office, Telangana, most of the nine rifle ranges in and around the city have been almost abandoned due to safety concerns as many residential areas have come up in the vicinity . The rifle ranges are located at Bowenpally , EME, Yapral, Safilguda, Kowkur, Asifnagar, Chandrayangutta, Kanchanbagh and Devathalagutta. Even ranges in neighbouring Rangareddy district are not in use anymore.

The rifle range at Safilguda, spread over 90 acres, is now utilised as a driving track for defence and Army personnel.The one at Asifnagar has become a parade ground. The range at Yapral, spread over 430 acres, has also been abandoned so has the Kowkur range, spread over 236 acres. A 1.32-acre plot located nearby is being used for short-range firearms practice.

While the range at Bowenpally is spread over 700 acres, only 100 acres are being util ised for short-range firearms.In 2015, the Defence Estate Office sought renewal of the lease agreement. But the state government has not yet responded to the DEO's plea.Land under the Bowenpally rifle range had been allotted to the railways nearly three decades ago to lay a railway line between Moula Ali and Sanathnagar. The land was allotted purely on `exchange of land' basis. But the State government has yet to allot land in lieu of that given.

Among the other ranges that are functional are the one at Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) at Kanchanbagh that is spread over 400 acres and the range at Devathalagutta in Badangpet. The total area of these rifle ranges is around 2,500 acres.Since two important Army centres Armed Ordnance Corps and Artillery Centre besides the Cantonment are located in Hyderabad, thousands of army personnel stay in the city and need practice on a daily basis.

When contacted, Defence Estates Officer Telangana SVR Chandra Sekhar said the existing rifle ranges have been abandoned. “We do not have any range to practice long range firearms. We have approached the government to allot nearly 2,500 acres for an exclusive rifle range. Negotiations with the state government and defence authorities are in progress,“ he said.