Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, Dec 16: Directorate of Tourism organized trekking camp from Samba to Mahorgarh via Mansar here today.
Director Tourism OP Bhagat and Director State Forest Research Institute and OP Sharma Vidyarthi flagged off the trekking expedition from Surinsar Lake.
According to the report, the Surinsar Mansar twin lakes were thronged by hundreds of enthusiastic trekkers on the occasion of Mansar Great Trek Festival. The event was marked by organizing a trekking event on four different nature trails culminating at Mansar Lake. Six hundred students of different schools from Jammu. Samba and Udhampur participated in this trekking camp.
The trekkers were flagged off from Surinsar, Mahoregarh, Manwal and Baarigarh respectively. All the treks were manned by forest officials from Department of Wildlife, Directorate of Social Forestry and Territorial Forest Divisions under Eco Tourism Initiative. The trekking routes were opened for trekking after carrying out race of the nature trails by Forest Department and its allied agencies. The aim of Eco tourism initiative was to promote adventure activities in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner. The Wildlife Department has already introduced battery operated vehicles at Mansar to reduce carbon footprints.
Under Corporate Social Responsibility Department of Excise provided refreshments to the participants and aware them about the ill effects of drug abuse and need for greater participation in sports and adventure activities among youth. Telecom Giant Airtel also gave caps and t-shirts to the participants.
Press Club Jammu in collaboration with SMDA launched a unique initiative of bringing a group of budding journalists to trek and cover the four treks so as to make them popular among tourists through social media. Ashwani Kumar, President Press Club Jammu and Captain Acharya Principal Defence Photographer personally guided the budding journalists.
Trekkers from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University SMVDU, Central University (CU), Bhargava College, Tawi Trekkers, GHSS Kathar, GHSS Khoon, GHSS Majalta, GHSS Thial, GHSS Surinsar, GHS Thalora, Dream India School Manwal, Adarsh Shiksha Niketan Channi Himmat, DPL Samba and others participated in the trek fest.
The mega event was organized by Surinsar Mansar Development Authority under Mansar Sunday Series in collaboration with Directorate of Tourism.
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