news details |
|
|
| Doodh Pathree a virgin tourist destination in Budgam | | | ET Plus Report
BUDGAM, Mar 18: Doodh Pathree is one of the virgin tourist destinations located in Central Kashmir's Budgam district. Doodh Pathree means (Doodh: Milk, Pathree: land). It is called land of milk because there are milky clean water streams flowing in the south of Doodh Pathree and this small Nullah is known locally as Shalee Ganga . As we know that tourists from different States visit Kashmir in large numbers but they hardly visited this place as there was no road connectivity in the area until few years back but now it has been thrown open for the public and road also has been constructed which would be blacktopped and fully completed this year. The Government led by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed created a separate Doodh Pathree Development Authority (DDA) as well which is undertaking various developmental works in the area. A Tourist Reception Centre has already been constructed at Tangnaad. From Tangnaad Doodh Pathree is around 5 kilometres away.
Doodh Pathree is located at an altitude of 2400 metres. There are various trekking routes in this area and Doodh Pathree could serve as a base camp for the trekkers to climb up the Pir Panchal mountainous range which is around 2 day trek from this place.
Doodh Pathree was included on the tourist map in 2005 and since then, the area has witnessed a great rush of local tourists from different parts of the Valley and especially those living in Budgam district throng this place in large numbers during summer months. Local MLA Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen has also done a remarkable work in ensuring development of Doodh Pathree, said a local Bashir Ahmad while talking to this correspondent.
There are hundreds of Gujjar families from Mujpathree and Basant Wodder villages which are located near Doodh Pathree who have their permanent dokes located at Doodh Pathree and during summers these family come here with their cattle and sheep and this has been continuing since ages but the Doodh Pathree Development Authority officials have now been telling these Gujjars to shift their dokes which adds to their sufferings. These Gujjars have urged upon the Government not to vacate them from Doodh Pathree and if they are vacated then some alternative place and compensation should be provided to them.
Many of the Gujjar families have started small business in the area by putting up small stalls of food items etc. and it has been reported that the Development authority is opposing this also.
The Forest Department has transferred several hectares of land to the DDA but it has been alleged by various environmental activists that DDA has encroached upon more land than it was actually provided to it by the Government. These activists have demanded that forests / environment should not be damaged at the cost of development.
In the recent years some foreigners have visited Doodh Pathree and undertook a trekking expedition also in the year 2010 under the guidance of Carin Fischer a German lady who is Person of Indian origin and works with J&K Tourism Department . The group consisting of US and German nationals along with locals had trekked for three days in the Pir Panchal area and went upto Noor Pur gali bordering Lohran which falls in Poonch district of Jammu. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
