 Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Nov 7: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice president Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the government needs to rethink immediately on road construction to Amarnath cave in upper himalayas.
Border Roads personnel recently created a history driving their two vehicles right up to the Amarnath cave after widening the pedestrian track from Baltal in Ganderbal up to the shrine.
"To provide some ease is one thing, but there is an urgent need to think over it. To take vehicles in such fragile areas will bring destruction," Omar told reporters in Srinagar.
The former Chief Minister said that there is a ban on any construction near the Dal Lake and tourist resorts of Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonmarg to preserve the environment.
"If Dal, Sonamarg, Gulmarg and Pahalgam are to be saved, why not Amarnath cave. Is it not our responsibility to save the environment?", he questioned. The NC Vice President said the Amarnath yatra has been going on for years and people in Kashmir have carried the yatris on their shoulders.
"People will continue to do so. Playing with our environment is not good," he said.
"When we go for Hajj, we don't undertake Tawaf in a vehicle. We do that on foot. People visit Mata Vaishno Devi shrine for darshan and many go on foot and do not use vehicles," he said. On the recent government order banning the employees protest, Omar said the government should devise some mechanism where employees put their legitimate demands . |
