Tourist onslaught kills Kashmir’s Thajiwas glacier

Tourist onslaught kills Kashmir’s Thajiwas glacier

According to environmentalists, unless an immediate ban is imposed on mass-tourism to the base of Thajiwas glacier, it will disappear in 10 years.

NOOR-UL-QAMRAIN  Srinagar | 5th Jul 2014

Vehicles are allowed to reach the Thajiwas glacier | Photo: Javaid Bhat he heavy rush of tourists to Sonamarg is denuding the valley of its green cover, while pushing the adjacent Thajiwas glacier to near extinction. This is also proving to be a threat to the lives of the animals that inhabit the surrounding Thajiwas wildlife sanctuary. "The number of Himalayan wolves, snow leopards and markhors (large wild goats) roaming these forests have started coming down. We have not spotted even one of these animals in the past few years," says Eshan Ali Balti, the resident of Kulan village. The Alpine forest is also home to the brown bear, jackals and musk deer. Dozens of hotels and huts have been constructed inside the Sonamarg meadow to accommodate tourists. With vehicles allowed to reach the base of the glacier, the area has started resembling a mini market. Several makeshift shops have come up at the base to cater to tourists. The glacier has receded to a great extent, exposing a vast area full of stones. The body of the glacier itself is littered with bottles, cups and other wastes disposed of by the tourists. According to environmentalists, unless an immediate ban is imposed on mass-tourism to the base of Thajiwas glacier, it will disappear in 10 years. Minister of Environment and Forest, Mian Altaf Ahmad who is also the local MLA, told this newspaper, "The PDP-Congress regime constructed the huge Sonamarg Club inside the wildlife sanctuary. I banned all constructions and have allowed only tented accommodation." When asked about the construction activities in Sonamarg meadow and the permission given to vehicles to drive down to the glacier, he said, "The permission to the construction inside the Sonamarg bowl was given by the state Cabinet on the recommendations of the Town Planning wing. But now traffic to the base of the glacier will be stopped and only pony-wallas will be allowed to go there." The state government, to the surprise of environmentalists, approved a master plan for Sonamarg in 2010. It allowed only eight construction activities initially. 29 more permissions were given in 2012-2013. According to sources in the Sonamarg Development Authority (SDA), many more "constructions" were going on in the area without prior permission. SDA CEO Farooq Ahmad Rather passed the buck by saying, "It is the Director Tourism, Kashmir who approves such constructions." Rather also alleged that officers with the Wildlife Department were collecting money from the thousands of vehicles that make the trip to the glacier. He claimed that he was not getting the required cooperation from the police and the administration to stop tourists from visiting the glacier. "I initially banned all vehicles and closed the glacier for the public, but I had to lift the ban after protests and political pressure." When questioned about the construction activities, Director, Tourism, Kashmir, Talat Pervez said that as per the master plan, 44 hectares of land were earmarked for buildings and till date they have given permission for 42 hectares. "All these approvals have been given according to the master plan and as per the Environment Act," Talat told this newspaper. "We have identified the violations and have written to the government for the immediate demolition of these constructions," he said. Minister of Environment and Forest, Mian Altaf Ahmad said that efforts were on to save the glacier and the wildlife sanctuary from human intervention. When asked why dozens of local schools were being allowed to have their campsites inside the sanctuary, he said, "The schools have been permitted by the authorities for the past 20 years and wildlife authorities say that these tented accommodations are not bad for the area."