Heaps of garbage in Lahaul an eyesore

Tribune News Service

Dipender Manta

Mandi, August 11

The Lahaul valley has witnessed a spurt in construction activities and garbage littering after the opening of the Atal Tunnel. Since the opening of the tunnel, the Lahaul valley has experienced a huge tourist influx.

Residents of the Lahaul valley rue that tourists insensitively throw garbage here and there. They say that there is an urgent need to sensitise tourists about the need to maintain cleanliness. Besides, the district administration needs to install an adequate number of dustbins and provide toilet facilities at key tourist destinations to protect the ecology of the area.

Need to sensitise tourists

• Since the opening of Atal Tunnel, Lahaul valley has seen huge tourist influx
• According to Lahaul residents, tourists throwing garbage here and there
• There is an urgent need to educate tourists to keep the valley neat and clean

Ramesh Kumar Rulba, former Chairperson of Lahaul and Spiti Zila Parishad, says, “After the opening of the Atal Tunnel, the tourist influx in the Lahaul valley has increased manifold. Though the people of the Lahaul valley and those engaged in the tourism sector have been earning good amount of money due to the increase in tourist influx, littering in open spaces has also increased.”

“The Lahaul valley is known for its cleanliness but now it is losing its beauty because of heaps of garbage. The most affected areas are Koksar, Baralacha Pass and near the Atal Tunnel because tourists don’t follow instructions. The district administration has installed notice boards at a few places to warn tourists against littering the area but they don’t follow the guidelines,” he says.

Sushma Singh, a resident of Shooling village, says it is a cause for concern that tourists litter the valley, posing a threat to the ecology.

“A few days ago, the Mahila Mandal of Shooling village led a cleanliness campaign and collected heaps of garbage. We urge tourists to follow the guidelines issued by the district administration and keep the area neat and clean,” she says.

Residents of the Lahaul valley say that the district administration should also make efforts to sensitise tourists about the need to maintain cleanliness and impose a fine on offenders.

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#atal tunnel #Lahaul and Spiti