INSIDE KASHMIR: Omar for green tourism

Flagging necessity of long term strategy for preservation of natural resources, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Wednesday emphasized greening of tourism to avoid jeopardizing eco-balance in the State. “We should be driven and guided by greater ideal of transferring the Earth and its resources to our future generation in a manner where life styles and use of resources will complement the cycle of nature”, he said and emphasized the need for cultivating this spirit among the people universally.

Speaking at a two day workshop on ‘Practising Responsible Tourism’ organized by Eco-Tourism Society of India and World Wildlife Fund in collaboration with State Tourism Department here, the Chief Minister said that the world is presently at a crucial juncture of history where a comprehensive and well thought out strategy has become significantly essential to preserve and conserve natural resources.

Omar said tourism in Jammu and Kashmir has the potential of being an engine of growth of economy providing direct and indirect employment to a large number of people. He referred to the forward and backward linkage of tourism with the economy of the State and underlined its relation with the State’s fragile environment.

“This necessitates the promotion of responsible tourism in the State with two important objectives of preserving the environment to sustain tourism and to ensure benefits to locals by way of economic activities and employment”, he said explaining the need of tourism sensitive to environment and benefits to the community.

The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction over the increased interest towards the eco-tourism in the last few years adding that the large participation in today’s workshop is indicative of mindset shift vis-à-vis environment concerns.

“Over last so many decades it was normal to believe that natural resources were unlimited and inexhaustible and damage to these would be taken care of by the nature itself”, he said and reminded of the punishment present generation is receiving for the environmental degradation in the past.

Omar Abdullah said that the conflict of interests in the tourism on account of economic benefits and preservation has to be addressed in such a manner as would take care of both these aspects without disturbing the equilibrium. He said present day tourism is based on quantity rather than quality, as such, requires intensive focusing for regulation.

“To summarize, we have to ensure benefits of tourism to everyone in the chain and simultaneously take every measure to preserve and conserve natural resources and maintain eco-balance”, he said adding that tourists who visit the places of natural beauty should also be educated to take memories from these beautiful resorts and leave only footprints behind.

The Chief Minister highlighted the role of media in the stupendous task of preserving and conserving the environment and natural resources of the country.

Speaking at the workshop Minister for Tourism, Nawang Rigzin Jora referred to the environmental sensitivity of Jammu and Kashmir and said that workshop would be of enormous value to suggest measures to address the concerns relating to maintenance of eco-balance and carrying forward tourism related activities without creating any conflict.

Jora said that there should be least impact of tourism on the nature and culture of the State. He said Jammu and Kashmir is essentially an area of nature tourism and our focus should be on its preservation. Quoted Mahatama Gandhi “nature is for everybody’s need but not for everybody’s greed,” Jora laid stress on responsible and eco-friendly tourism.

In his speech Minister of State for Tourism, Nasir Aslam Wani underscored the necessity for striking balance between the growth of tourism and the conservation of eco-system in the State. He said human interference has been responsible for degradation and depletion of natural resources to a greater extension.

Nasir highlighted the need for conserving water bodies, forests, lakes, mountains and natural beauty ofJammu and Kashmir and said that the sustenance of tourism sector in the State is dependent on the protection and preservation of our world renowned tourist resorts and places of natural beauty.

The speakers from Eco-Tourism Society of India and World Wildlife Fund also spoke on the occasion and presented a resume of aims and objectives of the two day workshop.

Mango samplings in earthen vases were presented to the Chief Minister and other guests on the occasion as mementoes.