10/04/2024
*Kashmir: A 'Heaven on Earth'.._(Conditions Apply)*
Kashmir is witnessing an unprecedented rush of tourists. Every single hotel is fully booked. All tourist spots are teeming with hordes of tourists. At some places, even walking is difficult. Surprisingly, most of the tourists were of higher age groups.
Apparently, every Indian is keen to get a first-hand experience of the changed environment. All were happy to observe that J&K had been rescued from the abyss in which it had been sliding.
CRPF personnel are doing an admirable job through regular patrolling, to instil confidence in the populace.
The natural beauty of the valley is unparalleled. It is truly a heaven on earth...but then…whereas the Centre has made immense efforts to promote tourism, the local administration has failed miserably. It appears to have washed its hands off all the responsibilities.
Here are the grey areas which we felt that desperately need correction:
*Dal Lake*
The Dal Lake desperately needs dredging and cleaning up. The water has become dark black in colour. To live in the House Boats is hell because of the foul smell of the water and mosquitoes.
And one is literally trapped on the boats as you cannot go anywhere without the Shikara.
The gates for getting into the Shikara and the steps need urgent attention - they are slippery and broken at places.
*Mughal Gardens*
The garden is under renovation. Sadly, the upkeep and maintenance are not up to the mark. At many places, the steps need urgent repairs. There are no railings. Toilets are too far away and poorly kept. There is always a local goon demanding money for their use. There are no garbage bins. At one garden, security staff at the entry gate was retaining the entry tickets for recycling, thereby pocketing the money.
*Doodhpathari*
Although an excellent tarred road exits, taxies are stopped 2 km short of the tourist spot (Shaliganga river site) and the tourists are asked to get down. They are given three options to reach the site – walk both-ways in high-altitude area (8,957 feet); or hire a pony, by paying the demanded charges; or ride an ATV (a four wheeled all-terrain vehicle) for a fee of Rs 1,000-1,500 per person. With a single pillion rider straddled behind the driver, it is is an adventure and only the young can dare. As all the three options are unviable for most tourists, especially the elderly, they never reach the river site. The State Government is guilty of succumbing to the local hoodlums and thereby depriving the tourists of reaching Doodhpathari.
*Sonmarg*
It is an example of human ingenuity to mint money at the cost of others’ helplessness. The area was teeming with thousands of tourists. Heavy snowfall had covered the ground with a thick white blanket and the tourists were enjoying playing in the snow. However, lack of basic facilities made the visit a nightmare for most. There were no toilets at all. A few enterprising hotels had erected a tent in their backyard with a solitary pot, common for men and women. Even the path to the tent was terribly slippery, as it had not been cleared of snow. Users had to pay Rs 10 each. As it was freezing cold, the queues were long and the wait unbearable for some. It defies logic as to why the local authorities cannot build adequate toilet facilities.
*Pahalgam*
It is around 90 kms from Srinagar. Srinagar taxies are not allowed to take tourists to Aru Valley, Betaab Valley and Chandanwari. They have to hire a local taxi-union cab for Rs: 2,000. Thus, the tourists end up paying for two taxies – one, that they had brought from Srinagar (lying idle in Pahalgam) and the second one from the local union. Although the whole circuit is scheduled to take about 4-5 hrs, the local union drivers keep hurrying up the tourists to save time for the second trip. Worse, they never take the tourists to Chandanwari, stopping few km short and turning back. It is outright cheating. They charge for Chandanwari but go just one Km beyond Betaab Valley. There are no officials or policemen to help. The local drivers unite to act as bullies. All through the above trip, we did not come across a single toilet or a garbage bin or parking areas. It is chaos all around.
*Gulmarg*
It is around 60 kms from Srinagar. It is a beautiful place, famous for its gondola and the ski slopes. On reaching the place, one is attacked by hordes of guides, ponywalas and other vendors. Once again, to visit Bhutaphatri and the Maharaja Palace, one has to hire a local union taxi for Rs: 2500 as Srinagar taxies are not allowed to go there. Gondola tickets are sold on line. Mysteriously, they get sold out within minutes of the opening of sale. A ride in a gondola, is an experience of a lifetime. One is mesmerised by the sheer expanse of the glaciers. Last year gondolas hosted over 10 Lakh riders.
There are long queues for gondola, entailing wait for up to three hours. There were no shelters or benches for the tourists. Even the snow had not been cleared. Tourists had to hold hands to prevent slipping and falling. One is angered at the callousness of the administration. They make no effort to ensure safety and comfort of the tourists.
As Kashmir has recently emerged from the decades-long turmoil, it enjoys high curiosity
quotient. Understandably, tourists are rushing to Kashmir in lakhs. But beware.
All tourist places in Kashmir, are in mountainous/high-altitude areas, where the weather remains unpredictable. Bright sun-shine can suddenly turn into heavy rains or snowfall and even blizzards. Not one place has any shelter or benches for such eventualities. There are no rescue teams or medical aid posts. The Government has promoted Kashmir in a big way but infrastructure has not matched with the requirements.Are we going to wake up from the slumber only after a major tragedy.
The Government must get its act together and make sure that the tourists are not used as easy
prey by the local goons that dominate the tourism business in the *‘Heaven on Earth’*
Dayanand Nene