Unprecedented security restrictions imposed for the Amarnath yatra have allegedly dented the tourism sector and the movement of farm produce outside the Kashmir Valley, triggering protests from stakeholders on Saturday.
The Anantnag administration’s decision to set a cut-off time of 2 p.m. for tourists to leave the most-frequented tourist spot of Pahalgam, and 12 p.m. for the nearby Aru Valley, has resulted in the cancellation of scheduled trekking groups.
“Around 2,000 trekkers have cancelled their plans in the Aru Valley. We have only managed to divert around 1,000 trekkers to other routes. Security restrictions have impacted adventure tourism in Pahalgam, which is a trekkers’ paradise. I fail to understand why the Aru Valley, which is not connected to the yatra route, has been placed under restrictions,” Rauf Tramboo, adventure sports consultant with travel service provider Highland Journeys, told The Hindu.
