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| ‘Steps needed for improving facilities for pilgrim traffic to Jammu Kashmir’ | | | Srinagar, June 25
Kashmiris outnumbered home and foreign tourists while thronging various hill resorts,including Pahalgam,Gulmarg,Kokernag, in the scenic valley during the last two days so as to war off the impact of hot and humid weather.Visitors to Pahalgam said “we could not bear humid and hot summer in Srinagar where the day temperature ranged between 33 and 34 degrees Celsius and humidity varying between 70 and 77 per cent.”
Tahir.a resident of Chanapora in Srinagar,said “I and my friends have been camping in Pahalgam since Saturday evening.We feel comfortable and the intermittent showers have revived our spirits which had sagged in hot and humid weather in the state’s summer capital.”
Shamim,a friend of Tahir,said “there is no sight of any pilgrim in Pahalgam because the annual Amarnath Yatra is to begin from June 30 and those have made it to the mountain cave have gone from Baltal side.”
Several houseboat ownersandhoteliers,interviewed,said “the tourist traffic is below our expectations.Possibly last years three attacks on tourist buses had forced tourists to spend their summer holidays in other hill stations,especially Himachal Pradesh.” They said “we have received reports from the neighbouring Himachal indicating that the occupancy rate in the hotels and huts in Simla,Dharamsala,Manali and Kulu ranges between 60 and 80 per cent whereas it is less than 10 per cent in Kashmir.”
The Houseboat owners and hoteliers appear to be grateful that so far no Jehadi groups had dished out a threat to tourists visiting Kashmir.They said “we are envious of those connected with hotel business in Ladakh because even if some groups of India and foreign tourists land in Srinagar their stay is very brief because their destination being Leh and Kargil.”
On the contrary hoteliers and those running restaurants in Jammu and other highway stations between Pathankot and Pahalgam seem to be optimistic on account of possible heavy pilgrim traffic to Mata Vaishnov Devi and Amarnath cave.While Mata Vaishnov Devi shrine has been attracting between 20,000 and 30,000 pilgrims per day during the last three weeks Government agencies expect over two lakh pilgrims to visit Amarnath cave provided weather did not play any mischief.
With humidity having crossed 92 per cent in Jammu Patnitop continues to attract Jammuites,besides those pilgrims who had offered their prayers in Vaishnov Devi shrine.However,fleecing of visitors from outside the state to Patnitop by those running taxi and Sumo services between Jammu and Katra and between Jammu and Patnitop in the absence of any checking by any Government agency.Since the rise of militancy in Kashmir in 1990 the tourist traffic to the valley had suffered a major setback,and pilgrim traffic to Vaishnov Devi,which has crossed 70 lakhs a year,and seasonal pilgrim rush to Amarnath cave continue to sustain the economy of the state besides providing traders,transporters,hoteliers means of happy survival.
If Department of Tourism,Tourism Development Corporation and other Government agencies besides the police put their heads together more pilgrims and tourists could be attracted to Jammu and Kashmir.Their stay could be prolonged if new tourist resorts,including Mansar,Surinsar,Sudh Mahadev,Bhaderwah and other picnic spots were developed with emphasis on better road connectivity and infrastructure for the tourists at these places.
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