Dronagiri trek inaugurated

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 23

In a major boost to adventure activities in Uttarakhand, the Tourism Department has opened the Dronagiri trek in Chamoli district.

Badrinath MLA Mahendra Bhatt inaugurated the trek by flagging off the first batch of trekkers from Joshimath on Sunday. In his brief address, Bhatt said the state had  the immense tourism potential to explore. He said tourism could be a big source of new employment opportunities in the hills.

Bhatt said the Dronagiri trek was one of the best treks in the region and welcomed Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam’s efforts to develop this trek as a new eco tourism destination.

Kedarnath Congress MLA Manoj Rawat emphasised the need for reviving old trek routes in the Garhwal region. He also expressed his best wishes to the trekkers. Former Minister Kedar Singh Fonia said, “Tourism has become a big business worldwide and Uttarakhand too can encash on its tourism potential in a big way. He called for efforts towards the revival of the Mana-Kailash Mansarovar trek.

It is noteworthy that Uttarakhand has declared the Dronagiri trek as trek of the year 2017. The 15-km-long trek begins from Jumma in the Niti valley, 40 km from Joshimath township. The trek ends at Dronagiri hill. The region is rich in biodiversity and finds mention in the Ramayana. It is said that Lord Hanuman brought Sanjivini herb for ailing Lakshmana from this very Dronagiri mountain.

Joshimath municipality chairman Rohini Rawat, Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam’s Managing Director Atul Gupta and other officials were present. A booklet on Dronagiri trek was also released on the occasion.

Around eight trekkers were part of the first batch that left for the trek on Sunday. These included participants from Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, ITBP, ONGC and NIM.