HC seeks to know about validity of Master Plan for Gulmarg

Srinagar, Oct 29: The High Court of J&K and Ladakh Tuesday asked the government to disclose the validity of the Master Plan for Gulmarg.

Hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the preservation of the environs of Gulmarg ski resort, a division bench of Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice Puneet Gupta directed the government as well as parties in the PIL to disclose the validity of the Master Plan by November 26.

The court also asked the counsel for the parties to file a brief written synopsis reflecting all the rules and regulations regarding the matters involved in the PIL.

The court in response to the PIL filed in 2012 has issued various directions so far to protect the fragile environment of Gulmarg, the famous tourist resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

In 2018, the then State Administrative Council (SAC) approved the Gulmarg Master Plan-2032 for phase.

The main features of the Master Plan, according to an official statement, inter alia, was to develop the Tangmarg area as a satellite tourist township with a flexible set of development control regulations (DCRs) to attract developers for high-end tourism infrastructure to “reduce the further footprint of development in Gulmarg, which has a very limited carrying capacity”.

A significant part of Gulmarg Development Authority (GDA), especially Gulmarg, Khillanmarg, Botapathri and nearby areas included in the territorial jurisdiction of Gulmarg wildlife sanctuary and biosphere reserve will not be used for any highly built-up infrastructure development other than what is proposed given the ecological constraints and sensitivities involved, the statement had said.

Instead, such areas were proposed for leisure tourism, eco-tourism, and adventure tourism.

In July 2018, the High Court directed the formulation of a ‘vision document’ regarding the Gulmarg, “notwithstanding the Master Plan” in place for the famous ski resort.