*Forest officers unaware of sites identified in 2015
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 28: The much-talked about promotion of eco-tourism in Jammu and Kashmir on the lines of Karnataka and some other States of the country has remained confined to the official statements of PDP-BJP Coalition Government as neither a comprehensive policy has been formulated in this regard nor seriousness shown towards the sites identified in 2015 for pilot projects.
Every now and then the Ministers of the present Coalition Government have been issuing statements laying thrust on promotion of eco-tourism in Jammu and Kashmir on the ground that the State has immense potential for the same.
Some of them have even gone to the extent of mentioning that pattern of Karnataka and some other States of the country should be adopted so as to give required fillip to the tourism activities and uplift the economic conditions of the people living in rural and remote areas.
“However, situation on the ground is totally contrary to these statements as neither required focus has been paid towards framing comprehensive eco-tourism policy nor any step initiated for making facilities available at the already identified sites”, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
They informed that while chairing a high-level meeting on September 17, 2015 at summer capital of the State, the then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed while putting the onus of developing eco-tourist sites on the Forest Department had suggested dovetailing the efforts with that of Tourism Development Authorities to obtain optimum results.
In the meeting, the then Chief Minister was informed that Forest Department has identified four pilot projects each in Kashmir and Jammu divisions that will be developed as potential eco-tourist destinations in the State. These sites include Bangus Valley, Bojpathri, Tosamaidan, Daksum, Pahalgam, Warwan, Sukrala and Machedi (Billawar).
It was also stated that all these sites of tourism interest fall in forest areas as such undertaking eco-tourism activities there will provide livelihood opportunities to the locals besides ensuring minimum or no disturbance to the forest eco-system, sources further informed.
However, whether any progress has been made on creating necessary infrastructure and making available required facilities at these eight sites is not known to any of the concerned officers of the Forest Department.
When approached, Commissioner/Secretary to Government, Forest Department, Mohd Afzal Bhat said, “we have prepared project reports for these sites and the same have been submitted to the Tourism Department as eco-tourism promotion is the domain of both the departments”, adding “I have not received any communication from the Tourism Department on this front till date”.
Responding to a question, he said, “Tourism Department has to keep us informed before undertaking any activity vis-à-vis eco-tourism promotion at these sites”.
However, Roshan Jaggi, Additional PCCF Eco-Tourism said, “the projects for promotion of eco-tourism are still being formulated and thereafter discussion will be held with Tourism Department authorities”.
“The contradictory statements of Commissioner/Secretary and Additional PCCF clearly indicate the level of non-seriousness towards much-talked about promotion of eco-tourism as well as lack of coordination”, sources remarked, adding “even nobody in the Forest Department is in a position to specify progress made in formulating Eco-Tourism Policy of Jammu and Kashmir”.
According to the sources, several years back Jungle Lodges and Resorts Limited, Bangalore, which is successfully running eco-tourism sector in the southern State for the past many decades, had prepared Eco-Tourism Development Plan for Jammu and Kashmir’s Department of Wildlife Preservation but what happened to that plan remains a mystery.
The Jungle Lodges and Resorts Limited had mentioned in the plan that the virgin and untouched areas of the State makes it perfect for eco-tourism promotion. It had also suggested providing technical assistance to the local community by capacity building initiative for providing an insightful, mindful and participatory travel experience to natural and cultural environments.
How would the Government promote eco-tourism in Jammu and Kashmir by adopting such a casual approach towards all its aspects remains a million dollar question, sources said, adding “it is a matter of concern that the Ministers of PDP-BJP Coalition Government are merely issuing statements on eco-tourism promotion instead of ensuring timely framing of policy as well as giving practical shape to the pilot projects”.
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