Nasir Aslam Wani bats for determining carrying capacity of all tourist places

Srinagar, Nov 6: Stating that the growing number of tourists continuously frequenting just a few tourist destinations in Kashmir has become a huge environmental problem for the region’s fragile ecology in absence of any sustainable tourism management in place, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister’s Advisor, Nasir Aslam Wani, today said that there is an urgent need of determining the carrying capacity of each tourist spot in Kashmir for protecting Kashmir’s environment.

While speaking as the chief guest at an event “Responsible Tourism: Challenges and Opportunities” organized by the Peoples’ Environmental Council (PEC), a Srinagar-based environmental advocacy group, Wani said that the business as usual tourism practices have to be avoided if Kashmir’s environment has to be protected.

“Huge number of tourists thronging a tourist place is the problem. We have the example of Manali before us. Look what has happened to that place? If a tourist goes there, that tourist doesn’t want to return to that place considering the mess Manali has witnessed in the name of tourism over the years,” Wani said.

“We have still time to avoid such a scenario if we act fast and devise measures for sustainable tourism practices,” he emphasized and added that the people who deal with tourism and the society as a whole has to also behave responsibly for making the policies of the government successful for protecting the region.

“Just be informed that the trains to Kashmir from other parts of the country are going to start bringing people directly to Kashmir sometime soon. So, if we don’t change ourselves and get ourselves ready for responsible tourism, we are surely in for a huge mess,” he said.

He added that tourism “is not about numbers, but the quality.” Noting that Kashmir has traditionally received manageable number of tourists, he said that even there were times in the past few decades when the region witnessed long spells of time wherein we had just a few tourists arriving in Kashmir.

Speaking on the occasion as the keynote speaker, Farooq Ahmad Shah, MLA Tangmarg and the former tourism head of Jammu and Kashmir, said that the time has come when Kashmir has to start taking measures for ensuring the protection of our environmental assets.

“Wherever we go, we see unplanned construction in the name of tourism infrastructure. This has to stop if we want to develop Kashmir as a dream tourist destination,” Shah said.

He said that he has decided that he would start taking some remedial measures from his own constituency which hosts Kashmir’s most popular tourist destination, Gulmarg. “Let me assure you that you will soon witness the changes in Gulmarg as this tourist place has witnessed a lot of environmental pollution in recent years,” he said and added that all the stakeholders have to contribute their bit to protect our environment.

He sought to debunk the notion that the present government in Kashmir is not powerful enough to take decisions. “You will soon see how this government under Omar Sahib’s leadership will soon start addressing the issues in the most ideal and effective manner,” Shah said.