Now e-permit must to visit Spiti’s Chandertal lake
Updated on June 21, 2021
People who wish to visit Chandertal lake and nearby areas of Spiti valley of Himachal, which have no mobile network and are prone to natural disasters, will have to apply for e-permit online from next few days.
The e-permit, named e-Aagman, will help Lahaul-Spiti district administration in keeping a track of visitors for their safety and will help administration in controlling the number of people visiting this eco-sensitive area according to its carrying capacity. This region is notorious for dangerous roads, landslides, floods and sudden snowfall which leaves tourists stranded. This being a mobile shadow area, tourists sometimes face problems after accidents or other problems as they fail to contact for help.
You can apply for Chandratal Lake Permit here: http://www.eaagman.hp.gov.in/
Lahaul-Spiti deputy commissioner Pankaj Rai said, “The vehicles will have to be registered online to get e-permit to be able to use Koksar-Kaza road and to visit Chandertal lake. This arrangement is to ensure safety of the visitors and to keep track of them. We shall allow tourists to Chandertal only according to its carrying capacity. Those without e-permit will not be allowed. Camping at the lake area will not be allowed.”
Visitors will have to provide their personal details, vehicle number, travel date, source and destination by filling the form at www.eaagman.hp.gov.in. Chandertal, which is also a wildlife sanctuary and home to many glaciers, is a popular tourist destination. Presently Chandertal is closed for tourists as all wildlife sanctuaries were closed for tourists since April 30 due to possibility of spread of the Covid-19 from humans to animals. The lake is expected to open soon.
Lahaul-Spiti administration was considering implementing the e-permit system in the entire district to avoid overcrowding of tourists. Police will check the permits at Atal tunnel, Koksar, Losar and other key locations and vehicles without permits will not be allowed. The administration was launching this new arrangement with Chandertal lake from Tuesday onwards, but according to sources, the effective implementation of this system may take place in two or three days.
Soon permit must to visit Chandratal lake
Updated on January 18, 2021
With the anticipation of heavy tourist crowd beyond carrying capacity which can cause both traffic and environmental chaos in the ecologically fragile high altitude landscape, the Lahaul-Spiti administration is going to make permit system must for visiting famous Chandratal (moon lake) of Spiti valley.
The plan is to allow a limited number of tourists to this region surrounded by high mountain peaks and some of the largest glaciers of Himachal. The administration is mulling to issue only 200 to 300 permits to the vehicles on daily basis. The permits will be available online with a fixed daily quota.
Camping near the one-kilometer long lake will also be banned. This will prevent the lake area from being polluted.
Chandratal lake remains closed in winters due to heavy snowfall. It remains open only from June till October. The temperature in winters dip below minus 30 degrees Celsius here. The lake is covered with a thick layer of ice these days.
Lahaul-Spiti administration was taken by surprise by the huge tourist rush suddenly after the opening of the Atal tunnel. The high crowd and traffic left the valley jammed.
Initially littering and parking were the major issues that police and administration were struggling with. Lahaul-Spiti will witness even more tourist crowd in the coming summer season in May and June. So the administration is planning to tackle this situation in advance.
Officials were mulling to allow limited tourists to some areas while parking and toilets are proposed to be built at tourist places. The administration in the tribal district is also working on garbage segregation and its proper treatment.
Located at an altitude of 13,940 ft just below Kunzum pass, Chandratal lake was one of the two high altitude wetlands of the country designated as Ramsar sites. Chandratal wildlife sanctuary is also home to a large number of wild animals including the snow leopard.
While only a few hundred tourists used to visit this lake two decades back, now thousands of tourists reach here every year in the summer season. This number is expected to increase manifolds this year due to the opening of the Atal tunnel. A large number of tourists visiting Manali will be heading to Lahaul valley and Chandratal lake.
Chandratal is connected by a narrow dirt road for small vehicles. The condition of the road is very poor and there are hardly some places on road to accommodate two vehicles at a time. The Atal tunnel – Gramphu – Kunzum road is also in poor condition and only SUVs can ply some of the sections of the road. High tourist rush will jam the road completely.
Chandratal, its parking and camping areas have limited carrying capacity. To avoid serious chaos, the administration has prepared a future roadmap.
Lahaul-Spiti deputy commissioner Pankaj Rai told local media that online permits will be issued to the tourists to ensure that number of tourists visiting Chandratal lake does not exceed a certain limit.
“Cleanliness and the environment will be considered first. Local residents will be given the opportunity to earn a livelihood at tourist places on priority. Then people from other places will also be allowed but in an organised way. All of them will be registered. Parking spaces will be marked at different places along the highway where toilet facilities will be made available for tourists. A surge in tourist footfall is expected in the summer season. Officials will be deployed near Atal tunnel who will keep an eye on tourism activities between Sissu and Koksar,” he was quoted as saying.
Don’t harm sanctity of holy Chandratal lake: Admin to tourists
Following a youth from Manali was drowned in Chandratal lake at an altitude of 14,000ft, the Spiti administration warned visitors not to bath in the holy lake and do not harm its sanctity.
The moon lake (Chandratal), which used to get only a few hundred tourists until a decade back, is getting thousands of tourists every year. The lake comes inside Chandratal wildlife sanctuary, a habitat to many rare animals including snow leopards. Surrounded by peaks and glaciers, the blue water lake in remote region is attracting hundreds of tourists every day these days. Many tourists are ignoring the warning signages and are swimming in the icy cold water of the lake.
Spiti sub-divisional magistrate Mahender Pratap Singh said not just bathing in Chandratal is risky but it also harms the religious sentiments of residents. “Visitors are taking the lake lightly but they should know that it’s very dangerous. The glacier-fed lake water is extremely cold and close to freezing point. It’s very difficult to swim in such cold water. And it’s too deep. Warning signages have been installed in the area but visitors are ignoring them,” he said.
The SDM said tourists have been asked not to go too close to rivers, nullahs, and water sources in monsoon season but they are ignoring the warning. He said he himself drove away many tourists from rivers and nullahs. He said a person from Manali was swimming in Chandratal and finally drowned. A similar incident happened a few months back when another youth was drowned in Chandratal.
“A strict action will be taken against tourists for flouting rules. Swimming in the lake is banned. Visitors are littering the area by throwing plastic garbage. They should be responsible and respect the religious sentiments of locals. The holy lake has religious importance for many people,” he added.
Permit for Chandratal Lake
While residents have made a Save Chandratal Society long back to protect the holy lake from being polluted, Lahaul-Spiti administration is not allowing people to go to the region without online registration. The tourists are now required to get themselves registered at www.eaagman.hp.gov.in to get e-pass. They need to fill in their personal details, vehicle number, travel date, source, and destination. A police post has been set up near the lake while forest department has become proactive to avoid any violation.
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