Green signal to new trekking, tourist routes in Leh

Tribune News Service 
New Delhi, December 18

In a bid to provide 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 has approved the state government proposal to open new tourist routes, including  Merak - Lema Bend; Chushul - Kartsangla - Mahe ; Durbuk - Shahikul - Tharuk - Sato Kargyam - Parma - Erath - Chusul and Loma - Hanley ; Korzok - Nurbo - Sumdo - Parangla - Kazaand and Agyam - Shayok - Durbuk. 

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

The proposal has also increased the validity of permits for movement of tourists within the Leh district from the previous 7 days to 15 days. 

Welcoming the proposal, Nasir Sogami, former MoS 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 our 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, Coordinate Committee at the district-level chaired by Deputy Commissioner, Leh, with the representatives of Army, JK Police, ITBP and other security agencies will be constituted.  

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 formal release.