Early Times Report
Srinagar, Nov 5: With the tourists have resumed visiting Kashmir after the abrogation of the special status, life is fast returning to normal in the valley, especially in the areas being frequented by the tourists.
While the Shikara walas are doing brisk business in the Dal Lake in Srinagar, the health resort of Gulmarg is blooming with the tourists.
After lifting the travel advisory for the non-locals, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has also restored the Gandola cable car in the famed ski resort of Gulmarg.
As per conservative estimates, more than ten thousand tourists have visited Kashmir within the fortnight of the lifting of the travel advisory that was imposed on August 2, following intelligence inputs that terrorists were planning to target non-locals. As the tourists have started moving around on the Boulevard and in the Gulmarg, the shops and other commercial establishments along the route now remain open throughout the day though other areas are observing hartal.
Interestingly, after Gulmarg started to remain normal for the whole day, the adjacent tourist spot of Tangmarg has also restored normal life.
“Infact the normalcy now stretches from Gulmarg to Tangmarg to Magam, and this is the route taken by the tourists,” said one official hoping that entire Kashmir would be normal in the coming weeks.
Sources said with the resumption of tourism in Srinagar and Gulmarg, the administration looks ahead to focus on south Kashmir.
“From north to central Kashmir, things are back to normal and now our focus will be south. Once that also gets normal, entire Kashmir will be normal, hopefully in the coming weeks,” said the official.
He said the government looks ahead to launch a winter carnival in Pahalgam.
“Much the way Gulmarg has helped resumption of normalcy in north and central Kashmir, Pahalgam is the same hope for south and we’re are looking into exploring options on this front,” he added. |
