SAFEGUARD KASHMIR'S HIDDEN TREASURES

The peaceful valleys and meadows of Kashmir are fast becoming favorite substitutes to crowded tourist spots such as Gulmarg and Pahalgam. From the scenic meadows of Reshwari and the scenic trails of Tulail and Gurez to the high-altitude getaways of Drang, Pujj Kabar, and Gagangeer, these bear-infested and ecologically sensitive places are now experiencing a steady flow of tourists, particularly during the scorching summer days when plains struggle under heatwaves.

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While tourist influx brings economic livelihood to far-flung villages, it also bears with it a disturbing truth littering and wanton disregard for the environment. Tossed plastic bottles along the path, snacks packaging discarded near tranquil streams, bonfire ash on grasslands all testify to a rising carelessness that imperils the very quality that attracts individuals to such sites: their virgin, unspoiled beauty.

Unlike popular tourist sites, these out-of-the-way and less developed sites don't have the proper infrastructure to deal with the trash produced by travelers. Without municipal waste collection programs or special sanitation areas, trash winds up in forest creeks, on trails, and in open fields ultimately injuring native wildlife, polluting water bodies, and deteriorating soil.

This emerging threat is especially concerning within bear habitat areas. The Himalayan brown bear and black bear, both found in some areas of North Kashmir, are becoming more common near human habitations and tourist areas attracted by the smell of food waste. Not just does it interfere with their wild nature, but it also raises the risk of human-wildlife conflict, which can be life-threatening for both.

Tourism cannot become a threat to the very environment that nurtures it.

The tourists alone cannot be blamed. A greater failure of awareness, readiness, and governance is at the root of the issue. The authorities need to take stock of the fact that the tourism scenario in Kashmir is changing. The earlier emphasis on a select number of destinations is not enough. Offbeat locations are gaining popularity, and with them has to come the onus of maintaining, looking after, and preserving these spots.