The tourist footfalls in Jammu and Kashmir have enormously increased and it is anticipated that with the full train connectivity in coming months, the flow may grow further and leave Kashmir jam packed especially the tourist destinations. This increased footfalls of tourists in the valley is an encouraging sign and have potential to boost its economy which was dying for last many decades after Pakistan backed proxy war in Kashmir erupted in 1987.
After Horticulture, the Tourism industry is second critical industry that fetches huge money to the Union Territory and offers lakhs of jobs to its youths. The opening of many other tourist destinations, off beat tracks, adventure tourism has come up with lot more added values to the booming tourism industry of Kashmir. However, at the same time we are paying a huge cost and our future generations have to bear its burnt for sure.
As we are encouraging the tourism, we are also hitting our fragile ecology, cause huge harm to flaura and fauna. Use of Polyethene at highly sensitive places, littering of green meadows and water bodies is unnoticed to all those authorities responsible for maintaining and developing these picnic spots. Gulmarg is a case in point. It has huge littering spots everywhere in the parks, roads and elsewhere in deep woods.
The water channels flowing through these meadows are literally unusable due to filth and litter dumped in these channels. The water despite coming from the fresh glaciers is highly contaminable and unfit for human consumption.
This all happens here at the nose of Gulmarg Development Authority which makes huge sums of money from tourists and vehicles on different charges. Municipal Councial Gulmarg and Tangmarg which charges visitors at the entry point doesn’t even see this serious problem. The problem is almost same at every picnic spot and the new coming spots soon may face the same problem.
These spots don’t have only the tourism potential which we are ruining due to our uncivil behaviors’ and negligence of concerned authorities, they also serve as lifeline to Kashmir for providing fresh water supplies throughout the year. At the cost of tourism, we can’t afford to lose these water bodies as huge number of such bodies have already disappeared over the years due to environmental degradation.
While we must promote the tourism and encourage more and more people to come, at the same time we also need to give attention for the preservation of water bodies. Laws must be enforced. Erection of sign boards at these spots reading “No Polythene Zone” serves only a symbolic gesture unless and until the government strictly bans junk food, polyethene bags and sale of water bottles at these places.
There is also a huge quantity of water bottles thrown as litter at these spots, and if the government for the sake of preservation of these fragile places install drinking water facilities from these fresh water bodies, the sale of these water bottles can be banned. However, all these efforts deserve a serious approach from the concerned authorities to save and preserve our paradise for future generations.
