Encroachments removed from Solang valley

Our Correspondent

KULLU, March 3

A committee of representatives of various departments, constituted to ensure compliance of orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to preserve the fragile ecology of the Rohtang region, visited the Solang Nullah region on Sunday to ensure the removal of remaining unauthorised structures on government and forest land.

Manali SDM Viney Dhiman said villagers had assisted the district administration to comply with the NGT orders and had themselves removed their temporary eateries.

BL Negi, District Forest Officer, Kullu, said of the 124 identified unauthorised structures, 100 had completely evacuated the region, while the remaining structures were being removed.

Inclement weather conditions hampered the removal of the remaining structures but the villagers had agreed to clear these within a week, he added.

Meanwhile, due to the removal of temporary eateries, a majority of the tourists visiting the Solang Nullah region were inconvenienced. Due to a heavy crowd, the police did not allow tourists to go beyond Palchan village after noon on Saturday.

On the other hand, the affected residents who had lost their only source of earning said before dislocating them the government should have developed eco-friendly markets for the region, as per the guidelines of the NGT. They said this would have preserved the livelihood, the localites and benefitted the tourists as well.

Various political leaders, including Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, had assured them that those affected would be re-habilitated and the issue would be raised with the National Green Tribunal.