Ishtiyaq Ahmad
EARLY TIMES REPORT
Srinagar, June 25: People of Ladakh are worried over the ongoing face-off along the Line of Actual Control especially in the Pangong lake area, which is the prime tourist destination in the new Union Territory.
For the last six-weeks, there has been face-off between Indian and Chinese Army in Galwan valley and Pangong along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh.
At least 20 Indian army men were killed last week after their clash with Chinese soldiers in Galwan valley of Ladakh. The ongoing dispute is giving sleepless nights to people of Ladakh, who are most dependent on tourism for their bread and butter.
Mohammad Sharif, who runs a jewellery shop in Leh said the tourism in Ladakh will be badly affected if the skirmishes continue along the LAC especially in Pangong.
“Pangong Lake is the prime tourist destination in Ladakh. Tourists visit Ladakh mostly to see this lake. If there is a dispute then less people will visit Ladakh,” Sharif said.
Locals said the authorities have snapped communication in the forward areas of eastern Ladakh, which has compounded the fears among the inhabitants of the Union Territory.
Tsewang Jora, a resident of Leh said they have no contact with their relatives and other people who live along the LAC. “All communications have been snapped in forward areas. We are also worried over continuous disturbance especially in Pangong on which our tourism is mainly dependent,”
The recent incidents at the Pangong area between Indian and Chinese soldiers on the LAC involve a picturesque lake.
Pangong Tso (Tso in Tibetan language means lake) is a long narrow, deep, endorheic (landlocked) lake situated at a height of more than 14,000 ft in the Ladakh Himalayas. The western end of the lake lies 54 km to the southeast of Leh. The 135 km-long lake sprawls over 604 sq km in the shape of a boomerang, and is six km wide at its broadest point.
As things stand, 45 km-long western portion of the lake is under Indian control, while the rest is under China’s control.
The Pangong Lake has become famous since Bollywood film 3 Idiots was shot there in 2009.
Over the last 11 years, the world’s highest saltwater lake has been one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ladakh, as thousands of people visit there annually.
India shares a 3,488-km border with China while Ladakh shares 646 Km of the LAC with the neighbouring country. |
