With tourists come problems aplenty
As many as 2.36 lakh tourists visited Mussoorie this May while the number is expected to be over 3.5 lakh for June. The high tourist arrivals in a short span places the local administration under enormous pressure regarding basic facilities
Anmol Jain
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, June 15
The tourist season is at its peak and local businessmen are happy with the tourist influx this year. However, like the locals the tourists have had to contend with water scarcity, traffic jams, parking woes and the lack of cleanliness on Mall Road.

Tourism department data shows that a little over 2 million tourists visit the town each year with the months of May and June being most busy.

As many as 2.36 lakh tourists visited Mussoorie in May this year while the number is expected to be over 3.5 lakh for June. Such high tourist arrivals in a short period creates severe problems with the local administration struggling to provide basic facilities to visitors as well as the local populace.

This year has been no exception. Beginning May, tourists as well as the locals have been facing water scarcity, traffic jams and problems arising out of inadequate parking spaces.

The town is grappling with deteriorating hygiene and sanitation in the absence of a suitable waste management plan. Frequent traffic jams, particularly in the Landour area, are a nuisance.

While in the past only one-way traffic was allowed through the main market at Landour, now two-way traffic has to be routed through the main market, leading to utter chaos, with the other road closed for construction of a new parking. Rajat Aggarwal, president, Mussoorie Traders Association (MTA), believes that such a chaotic situation would have an unfavourable impact on tourisism. “After being caught up in a traffic jam for hours, the tourists are bound to carry back a negative image of our town,” he said.

The traders complained about the failure of the municipal authorities to prevent encroachments on The Mall by hawkers and street vendors.

“The street vendors are a nuisance, especially those selling eatables, as they not only create health hazards for the tourists, but also throw garbage on The Mall,” said a local trader.

The hoteliers are disgruntled over the fact that during the past two months they have had to constantly grapple with water scarcity.

“Since May, we have been facing acute shortage of water, especially on the weekends, when the tourist pressure is at its peak,” said a hotelier pleading anonymity.

However, the chairman of the Nagar Palika, OP Uniyal, said during the past one year several positive steps had been taken and new projects initiated for resolving the problem of traffic congestion, parking and sewerage.

“We have initiated several projects to improve overall infrastructure in the town and to solve parking, traffic and sewerage problems,” Uniyal said.

The municipality has acquired 14 crores from the state government for construction of three mega parkings.

Work has already begun at two parking sites, at Clock Tower and near Town Hall, while work on the third will be initiated soon.

Electric barriers are scheduled to be installed at both entrances of The Mall which are expected to reduce the time taken for allowing entry of vehicles and hence the queues at the entrance to The Mall.

Most importantly, a Rs 51 crore project under the Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) has been sanctioned for repair of existing lines and laying of new sewer lines across Mussoorie.

Funds for construction of a three-storey multipurpose complex, including a new town hall, an auditorium and a community hall, have been sanctioned.

Although the peak tourist season is nearing its end, hopefully the Nagar Palika will take major initiatives to provide better facilities to the tourists the next season.

Poor Show: Report places Govind Pashu Vihar at no.18
Jotirmay Thapliyal
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 15
The Govind Pashu Vihar in Uttarakhand has fared badly in the recently concluded ‘Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Protected Area Networks’ undertaken by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, across the country.

Out of the total 30 protected areas evaluated, Govind Pashu Vihar stood 18th attaining an overall score of 53 per cent with 170 marks out of 320.

The parameters on which the assessment was done ranged from overall planning inside a protected area, effective protection strategy, efforts in meeting out challenges within the protected area, mitigation of human-wildlife conflicts, habitat restoration plans, trained manpower, access of forest personnel to adequate resources, public participation in management and addressing livelihood issues of resource-dependent communities.

The 30 key protected areas in the country covered under the evaluation included Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan, Mudumalai National Park, Tamil Nadu, Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, West Bengal, Gulf of Mannar National Park, Tamil Nadu, Great Himalayan National Park, Himachal Pradesh, Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, Orissa, Mahatma National Park, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala.

As far as Govind Pashu Vihar was concerned, the report held that none of the workers deployed at the park had received regular training. The park faced grave challenges in the form of human and biotic interference.

Further, the Vihar witnessed high grazing pressure from nearly 80 thousand sheep and goats during May to September, not only from 42 villages falling in buffer area but some also from far off Mori and Sandra areas. Gujjars’ buffalo herds from Rajaji Park and even Shivalik Forest Division of UP also migrated to Govind Pashu Vihar during summers.

However, on brighter side, Govind Pashu Vihar was found to be documenting threats to the park well, having proper zonation inside the core area and other zones and a proper management plan.

As far as protection strategy was concerned, the report held that long and short range patrolling had been planned recently as an anti-poaching strategy, but lack of sufficient manpower and training in mountaineering et al renders it weak.

On the human-wildlife conflict, the Park has been put in the fair category.

The human-wildlife conflicts are mainly due to crop raiding by wild boars, mauling by Himalayan black bear, occasional cattle-lifting by leopards in the villagers and killing of sheep and goats in high attitude pastures by snow leopards, brown bears and leopards.

On principles of ecosystem approach, the Govind Pashu Vihar was categorised in poor category, as it hardly had any integration into wider ecological network like those in neighbouring Tons Forest Division and Shimla Wildlife Division.

The WII report, which is also available on the institute’s website, has put The Great Himalayan National Park in HImachal Pradesh on top of the table with a Management Effective Evaluation score of 78 per cent.

... Strike by civic staff makes matterseven worse
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, June 15
The strike by the civic staff, including the Jal Sansthan, the Nagar Palika, the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) and panchayats, which began today is likely to impair tourism and result in severe economic losses to businessmen.

The scarcity of water during this peak tourist season may force the tourists to retreat, vacating hotels.

The strike could not have come at a worse time when hotel occupancy is cent per cent,” said Sandeep Sahni, PRO, Mussoorie Hotels Association.

The hoteliers are worried on making provisions for adequate water supply to the tourists. “Who will like to stay in the town if adequate water is not available at hotels,” said Ajay Bhargava, Secretary of MHA.

Reports say there was almost 100 per cent hotel occupancy till yesterday but with the news of the strike trickling in, worried tourists in large numbers checked out this morning.

“Although this is peak season, the hotels may have to offer 30-40 per cent discount to keep back the tourists,” said a very disappointed Bhargava.

For a town dependent on tourism for its economic well-being, a prolonged strike may severely retard the tourist inflow and result in heavy monetary losses for all sections.

“I hope the strike will not continue for long otherwise we will be the worst sufferers,” remarked Treppan Singh Rawat, secreatry, Hotel Guide and Karmachari Union.

Local businessmen blame the state government for failure to prevent the strike considering the tourist season.

“We are a tourism state and nearly one-third of revenue of Uttarakhand comes from tourism.

Perhaps the state government should have been more proactive in preventing or postponing the strike so that tourism was not impacted,” said Rajat Aggarwal, president, Mussoorie Traders Association.

Meanwhile, AK Sharma, XEN, Jal Sansthan, says that temporary arrangements have been to ensure adequate water supply to the residents.

No doctor wants job at sports college
Vishal Thakur
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 15
The response to the government advertisement for the appointment of doctor at the Maharana Pratap Sports College has been poor. As a result, the government has decided to republish the ad with increased monetary benefits.

In February, Bhagwan Singh, a student of the college, lost his life because of kidney failure. The incident had sent shock waves throughout the city and brought the facilities at the college facilities under the scanner.

Ever since the college was established in 1993, it lacked the facility of a dispensary in its premises. The college authorities also did not maintain any record of medical tests conducted in the college.

The poor medical facilities raised concern among parents whose children were enrolled in the college.

Additional director of sports AK Chaturvedi said, “We had previously advertised for a post of doctor but did not receive any application. This prompted us to re-advertise for the post with an increase in salary from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000.”

The college authorities have a tie-up with the community health centre that is located at a short distance from the college.