NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTION 99
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

After the war, the piece de resistance: Kargil to become tourist spot

The Border Roads Organisation is planning to build an alternate road to the Kargil region of Jammu and Kashmir bypassing the dangerous seven km stretch on the Srinagar-Leh highway that is inside the Pakistani firing range and often comes under heavy shelling from across the Line of Control.

The road via Suru valley is intended to make road traffic to Kargil ''hundred per cent safe,'' according to Jammu and Kashmir tourism secretary Parvez Diwan.

The decision follows the government's intention to develop Kargil into a tourist place, particularly after last year's conflict. ''After last year's war, Kargil has become a household word. It was therefore, felt to cash in on the tourism potential of the place.''

The seven km stretch is the most vulnerable part of the entire highway and often comes under heavy shelling from the Pakistanis. Trucks carrying essential supplies to Kargil are advised to avoid the stretch at night and make a night halt or switch off their headlights while crossing.

Dewan saidbarring the seven km stretch, the entire highway is safe and the new road would make it ''hundred per cent safe.''

Dewan said the state government had decided to hold the annual 'Ladakh Festival' in June this year instead of September to enable people from Kargil also to participate. The decision was taken after a request from people of the area.

He claimed that tourism had shifted to Kargil and tourists had started showing more interest in visiting Kargil than other places in the valley. He said the entire Kargil area is militancy free and even during the conflict, there was not a single militancy-related incident in the district although it was the scene of war.

''Tourist influx to Kargil has started picking up although after the war their number drastically came down by about 95 per cent.'' He said there was a misconception that anything happening in Kargil made the valley dangerous to visit. ''Few have the idea that Kargil is at least 12 hours journey from the valley and disturbances there have very little or no impact on the valley.''

About the security aspect he said that was uppermost in the state government's mind and measures would be taken for the safety of the tourists.

Asked about the US government's directive to its citizens not to visit Kargil, Dewan said the matter was being sorted out with US authorities. However, the state government never got any major revenue from US tourists. It was only tourists from Britain, Germany and France who were major revenue generators for the state tourism department.

UNI

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report