In an effort to make popular tourist place Hamta near Manali more tourist friendly with care for environment, Kullu administration has not only limited the daily quota of number of vehicles that can visit the area but also made it mandatory to seek only permit after paying congest charges. The vehicles can go to Hamta only between 6am and 6pm. The daily limit of vehicles will be 520 which includes 400 light vehicles, 100 motorbikes and 20 travellers (mid size vehicles). The light vehicles will have to pay Rs 250 and travellers will pay Rs 500 as congestion charges. The motorbikes will be charged Rs 200 for one trip. The visitors will have to apply online at kullupermits.in where they will have to fill in the required details and pay congestion charges. They will then get a permit with QR code which will be their entry pass to Hamta. Kullu deputy commissioner Ashutosh Garg said there were already some restrictions to visit Hamta but now some more rules will have to be followed by the visitors. “The visitors will have to show the congestion fee receipt with QR code at the barrier of tourism development council. They will scan it and will allow the vehicle. The vehicles will be allowed only between 6am and 6pm. The vehicles going to hotels built on this road will be allowed upto 10pm,” he said. As Hamta area is religiously important for residents of nearby villages, the DC said residents of Prini and Chachoga panchayats will be allowed without restriction but according to rules framed by SDM, Manali. “The barrier at Prini village will be manned by three home guard jawans from tourism development council, one policeman besides management support from AD Hydroelectric project who maintains the road for its project. Wireless and other
In an effort to make popular tourist place Hamta near Manali more tourist friendly with care for environment, Kullu administration has not only limited the daily quota of number of vehicles that can visit the area but also made it mandatory to seek only permit after paying congest charges. The vehicles can go to Hamta
Kullu-Manali, where the government is promoting ecotourism, has witnessed unprecedented plantation in the last five years as people here have made it a mission to cover all available forest land with different species of trees. All this started after National Green Tribunal (NGT) slammed Himachal government and Kullu administration on various environmental issues multiple times. Concerned over the fragile ecology of Rohtang area being damaged by increasing tourism and increasing number of vehicles, NGT had asked state government to regulate tourism and plant trees. Lakhs of new saplings are being planted every year. Be it forest department, mahila mandal, yuvak mandal, panchayats, hoteliers, taxi operators, stakeholders or villagers, all are rushing for plantation during monsoon season. Burua panchayat of Manali alone has planted more than one lakh saplings in last few years. Both government and private schools have contributed to increase the green cover in the district. While the plantation drive was mostly influenced by environmentalists who are concerned over global warming, the drive was also meant for appeasing NGT as it was unhappy from pollution harming the ecology of Rohtang and nearby area. Over 60 thousand saplings planted below Rohtang in a couple of years earned Sarvottam Paudhropan Puraskar to the forest guard Neeraj Thakur. Kullu divisional forest officer Dr Neeraj Chadha, who helped in making plantation drive a mission in Kullu and implemented NGT order efficiently won Aranya Gaurav Puraskar from Himachal government. “Plantation has become a mission for people here. Be it students, women or elderly, all are coming forward for the green cause. Even these days plantation is continuing at multiple places. Local women are playing an important role. We are providing suitable species to the people and are protecting the area under new plantation by fencing,” DFO Dr Neeraj Chadha said. The mahila mandals in
Kullu-Manali, where the government is promoting ecotourism, has witnessed unprecedented plantation in the last five years as people here have made it a mission to cover all available forest land with different species of trees. All this started after National Green Tribunal (NGT) slammed Himachal government and Kullu administration on various environmental issues multiple times.
Tourists visiting Himachal Pradesh may soon get a world class eco-friendly tourist destination as Hamta in Kullu valley which is close to open for tourists in few months. A team of officials from tourism and civil aviation, administration, forest department and local stakeholders led by Manali sub-divisional magistrate Vinay Dhiman visited Hamta to check its feasibility as a tourist destination on Thursday. According to sources, the team found everything right and Hamta may open for tourists after inauguration by chief minister during Winter Carnival in January 2014. The main challenge for safe conduct of the tourism activity in Hamta is approach road to Hamta from Manali with more than 40 hairpin bends and large gradients at some points. The team found that road was worth taking the load of tourist crowd. Road to Hamta is under jurisdiction of Allain Duhangan Hydropower Ltd (ADHPL) which has commissioned its 192 MW hydropower projects here. Dhiman said that plan is to promote Hamta has an eco-friendly tourist destination and a sub-committee will be formed to prepare a detailed report on Hamta. He said, “The committee will forward its report to ADHPL authority for final approval. We checked the various aspects like safety, security and conservation of environment. The number of vehicles and tourists will be restricted to Hamta to conserve the natural resources here.” He said ADHPL authority will be requested to co-operate with them in promotion of the new tourist destination. Hamta is famous for least seen exotic and beautiful locations along with ski slopes, religious sites, old trekking trails and wildlife. Dhiman said that joint inspection of Hamta has brought positive results and now they were looking forward for co-operation from ADHPL. “If Hamta opens for tourists, it will also decongest Rohtang pass by drawing traffic.”
Tourists visiting Himachal Pradesh may soon get a world class eco-friendly tourist destination as Hamta in Kullu valley which is close to open for tourists in few months. A team of officials from tourism and civil aviation, administration, forest department and local stakeholders led by Manali sub-divisional magistrate Vinay Dhiman visited Hamta to check its
