Jahangeer Ganaie
Pahalgam, Sep 27 : Around eleven lakh people, excluding Amarnath yatris, visited Pahalgam this year so far, officials said, adding that all efforts are being made to keep the famous tourist destination vibrant during winter too.
Chief Executive Officer, Pahalgam Development Authority, Tariq Hussain Naik while talking exclusively to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said, “As per records available, around 11 lakh tourists excluding yatris have visited the place this year so far. There was also a good rush of foreign tourists.”
Naik added, “All stakeholders did good business this year as there was a huge flow of tourists. We are expecting the rush to continue in the coming months too.”
On winter plans, the officer said that adventure activities including skiing and snowboarding will be conducted.
He said Pahalgam is ready to host tourists round the year as infrastructure is being further enhanced.
When asked about challenges regarding sanitation due to the huge flow of tourists, the CEO PDA said that sanitation in the urban areas of Pahalgam is being done by the municipal committee while in rural areas, it has been outsourced.
The Rural Development Department (RDD) has also constructed segregation pits to keep the tourist destination clean, he said, adding that the PDA carries out frequent sanitation drives.
He requested the tourists whether domestic, foreign or locals to behave responsibly and avoid using polythene to keep Pahalgam neat and clean.
The officer further said that on World Tourism Day, a seminar-cum-awareness camp was conducted in collaboration with the Department of Tourism, Central University of Kashmir, in which all stakeholders participated and speakers put emphasis on responsible tourism.
They discussed what steps needed to be taken for sustainable tourism.
“A pledge was taken that a study will be conducted to find out the carrying capacity of the tourist destination along with accommodation and infrastructure to be developed on that very pattern,” he said—(KNO)
