*Proper solid waste mgmt, sewage network remain dream
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 23: A comprehensive Master Plan is a roadmap for success of any tourist destination because it ensures sustainable tourism development. But this is not the case with Patnitop, a major tourist destination of the Jammu region, as the developmental activities at this picturesque spot are being governed by 20-years old and obsolete Master Plan. More shocking is that an exercise to revise the Master Plan of 1995 that was stated over four years back has yet not reached the logical conclusion as a result of which haphazard development continues in the areas in Patnitop Tourist Circuit.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Patnitop Development Authority was formed in the year 1992 under Section 4 of the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act, 1970 to look after tourism development related activities and the first Master Plan for the area was prepared in 1995 for the planned development of the area.
Initially, the jurisdiction of the Authority was spread over an area of 265 square kilometers. However, few years back the area under Patnitop Development Authority was increased to 492 square kilometers to cover more locations having tourism potential.
Though during last one decade huge influx of tourists/pilgrims was observed at Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine and Shri Amarnath Yatra and subsequent increase in the tourist related activities in and around Patnitop, no focus was laid on revising the Master Plan of 1995 so as to have controlled and planned developmental activities and create better facilities for local people and tourists, sources said.
After maintaining blind eye towards this vital exercise for several years, the Patnitop Development Authority in the year 2011 decided to revise the Master Plan of areas under its jurisdiction. Accordingly, an agreement was signed on September 17, 2011 with Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology University (CEPT), Hyderabad for revision of Master Plan.
This was done keeping in view tremendous inflow of the pilgrims to this place, which as per the estimates of the Patnitop Development Authority is expected to be 60,000 persons per day during peak season and 20,000 persons per day during the lean period by 2021, sources said.
However, the exercise, which was initiated over four years back, has yet not reached logical conclusion and the Revised Master Plan is still at the stage of inviting objections and suggestions. Expressing inability to specify any time-frame for completion of this exercise, sources said, “after crossing the objections and suggestions stage, some changes would have to be carried out in the Revised Master Plan and thereafter it would be submitted to the Tourism Department where it would again be put to broad scrutiny before being placed before the State Cabinet for approval”.
Due to this the developmental activities in and around Patnitop are being governed by 20-years old and obsolete Master Plan despite the fact that the area under Patnitop Development Authority was increased to 492 square kilometers from 265 square kilometers some years back, sources said, adding “the delay in having Revised Master Plan is also notwithstanding the fact that proper planning of area under Patnitop Circuit is imperative so that the local natural resources are not over utilized and adequate infrastructure facilities and public amenities are provided to the local people and tourists alike”.
“Further, haphazard developments and unorganized growth can ultimately lead to chaos and put extra pressure on the existing infrastructure facilities”, sources further said.
They disclosed that at present Patnitop and adjoining areas lack sewage network and sanitation facilities owing to the lack of infrastructure and terrain of the place. “There is absence of underground sewerage network in the area and primary survey reveals that most of the hotels and other commercial units at the tourist destinations have the access to the septic tanks for sewerage disposal. However, in the villages around these locations very less households have the access to toilets and the practices of open defecation still prevails”, sources added.
According to the sources, Patnitop and some adjoining tourism destinations have a network of drains which runs parallel along the main roads. “In Kud town, solid waste is thrown in these drains in the absence of proper solid waste collection and disposal practices”, they said, adding “this results into clogging, choking and overflowing of drains thereby creating unhygienic conditions in and around areas”.
“Keeping in view all this and many other disturbing facts, it is obligatory on the part of Patnitop Development Authority and Tourism Department to conclude the Master Plan revision exercise as expeditiously as possible so that holistic development of Patnitop Circuit without disturbing the environment and ecology is ensured”, sources suggested.
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