MHA approves new trekking, tourist routes in Ladakh

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 18

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In a bid to give fillip to the tourism sector and commercial activity in the Ladakh region, the government has cleared a proposal for new routes for tourists and trekkers. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the state administration’s proposal to open new tourist routes, including Merak-Lema Bend; Chushul-Kartsangla-Mahe; Durbuk-Shahikul-Tharuk-Sato Kargyam-Parma-Erath-Chushul and Loma-Hanley; Korzok-Nurbo-Sumdo-Parangla-Kazaand and Agyam-Shayok-Durbuk.

The new trekking routes include Phyang-Dokla-Hunder Dok-Hunder; Basgo-Ney-Hunder Dok-Hunder; Temisgam-Largyap-Panchathang-Skuru and Saspol-Saspochey-Rakurala-Skuru.

The proposal has also increased the validity of permits for movement of tourists within Leh district from the previous seven days to 15 days.

Welcoming the proposal, Nasir Sogami, former Minister of State for Home and Tourism in the National Conference government, said, “This is good news. We were fighting for more routes to be opened for trekkers in the Ladakh region. This region has a huge potential to become the adventure tourism capital of the country.”

However in view of security and safety issues, night stay is not permitted on most of these routes for tourists and trekkers. For effective management of the new routes, a coordination committee at the district-level chaired by the Deputy Commissioner, Leh, with the representatives of Army, J&K Police, ITBP and other security agencies will be formed. The committee will meet once in three months to ensure smooth management of the existing as well as new routes, said the MHA in a release.