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Now, pitching tents in Gulmarg sans permission to invite action
Ban imposed on pitching tents in Gulmarg, Kashmir to control littering and pollution. Tourists need prior permission to install tents in eco-fragile zone.
Authorities in the ski resort town of Gulmarg in north Kashmir have imposed a ban on pitching tents akin to the rules in Gurez valley.
Gulmarg Development Authority chief executive officer has ordered that no tent will be allowed to be installed in the resort without prior permission. The order comes in the backdrop of concerted efforts to control littering and pollution.
“Some locals/tourists installing tents have been found involved in illegal activities like littering, parking over green slopes, lighting of fire on greens and sometimes found involved in creating law and order problems,” the circular read.
The order said it has become expedient to regulate the activity in Gulmarg, which is an eco-fragile zone and a world famous tourist destination.
Called the meadow of flowers, Gulmarg draws tourists, both national and international, in droves to its cup-shaped valley with virgin peaks, dry curry powder snow (in winter) and meadows, besides the visitors can ride Gondola, one of the Asia’s largest and highest cable cars ringed by pine forests and mountain peaks.
“In order to address the above issue and ensure that the said activity is undertaken in a regulated manner without affecting the ecology and tranquillity of Gulmarg,henceforth tents installed in Gulmarg shall be allowed only after obtaining prior permission form GDA,” the order said.
Earlier, the administration had imposed a ban on installation of temporary tents by tourists and visitors for night stay in Gurez, one of the major emerging tourist destinations in North Kashmir on Line of Control (LoC).
The ban had come just 45 days after the sub divisional magistrate in Gurez had allowed installation of temporary tents by tourists and visitors for night stay subject to the condition that they will not litter the place and keep the site neat and clean.
Owing to the improvement in the situation, the Himalayan Kashmir valley has welcomed tourists in record numbers since 2022. Overall the two years have witnessed tourist arrivals of 53.8 lakhs – 27.1 lakh in 2023 and 26.7 lakh in 2022. Such numbers were never recorded in the valley since the start of militancy in the early 1990s. This year, the valley has received a record number of 15.65 lakh (1.56 million) tourists in the first half of the year 2024, registering an increase of 20 percent over last year’s 13 lakhs in the same period.
