Govt Bans Installation of Temporary Tents for Night Stay at Gurez

PTK NEWS DESK

Srinagar, July 13: The Jammu and Kashmir government has announced a ban on the installation of temporary tents for overnight stays by tourists or visitors in Gurez, effective from Monday, July 15, 2024.

Previously, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Gurez had permitted tourists and visitors to set up temporary tents for night stays, as per order No: SDM/G/2024/245-49 dated May 28, 2024. This permission was contingent upon the condition that campers would not litter and would keep the site clean. However, it has been observed that many tourists and visitors leave trash and garbage at the camping sites, negatively impacting the environment and posing a risk of disease outbreaks.

In response to these issues, the SDM Gurez has issued a new order to protect the region’s delicate ecosystem and environment. The order states: “Keeping in view the above and due to the escalating threat to our delicate ecosystem and environment, it has become imperative to implement immediate measures to protect these vulnerable areas. As such it is hereby ordered there shall be complete ban on installation of Temporary tents by Tourists/Visitors for personal use W.e.f Monday i.e 15-07-2024.”

The new regulation does make an exception for tents rented out by locals. These tents may continue to be used by tourists, provided that the sites are kept clean and a sanitation fee is paid to the Rural Sanitation Department for waste collection.