Chenab tourism potential not yet tapped

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 31

The step-motherly attitude of the government towards erstwhile Doda district  — commonly known as the Chenab valley — continues to harm the virgin tourism potential of the area.

Dozens of tourist destinations in this remote area are yet to be tapped. They have the potential for attracting tourists from all over the world and could become a favourite destination for Bollywood to shoot movies.

The successive governments in the state have so far focused on boosting the tourism potential of the Kashmir valley while the Chenab valley has been neglected.

Apart from constructing a few tourist reception centres at Bhaderwah and Kishtwar, the state government hasn’t been able to fully explore the virgin tourist destinations of the Chenab valley.

Areas such as Lal Draman, Dal Draman, Marwah, Dachan and Warwan have a huge tourism potential, but they are yet to find a space in the tourism map of the state and the country. 

While Lal Draman is considered as the new Gulmarg of the state, the Warwan valley is known as the Switzerland of India.

“Both areas are yet to get a road link. People have to travel on foot to reach these areas. The government has not focused on improving the basic infrastructure,” said a senior government official of Kishtwar, who has spent many years in the Warwan area.

During the Budget session in March-April this year, the Jammu and Kashmir Government had said 19 projects costing Rs 77.66 crore had been sanctioned by the Union Ministry of Tourism under the Central financial assistance for the development of tourist-related infrastructure across the Chenab valley.

However, the Directorate of Tourism, Jammu, under which the tourism of the Chenab valley falls, has constructed only a couple of cafeterias in Doda and Kishtwar so far. 

“We have been working on one such project in the Doda area and the rest of the projects have been given to the development authorities of Patnitop, Bhaderwah and Kishtwar,” said RK Verma, Director, Tourism, Jammu.

Verma said no such project had been sanctioned for the Marwah, Dachan and Warwan areas of the Chenab valley. “Once we get directions, a team of officials will be sent for assessment to the areas to be developed as tourist destinations,” he added.

The state government had further said the Tourism Department was in the process of preparing a vision document to make an assessment of areas with tourism potential in the state. 

No such document has, however, been made public and the Tourism Ministry is only focusing on reviving the tourism potential of the Kashmir valley.