Tourists can visit Siachen glacier without Army nod

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, May 19

In a major decision that would give a much-needed boost to the tourism sector in Ladakh, the Army has allowed tourists to visit the Siachen glacier — the highly militarised base camp of the highest battlefield in the world — without any prior permission or no-objection certificate (NOC). The Tourism Department of Ladakh has been pushing for border tourism for long. It had urged the Army to allow domestic tourists at the Siachen base camp in the Nubra region without the NOC. The Ladakh police have been asked to establish checkposts in the area to manage the flow of tourists to the Siachen base camp. Tourists will have to pay an environment fee for visiting the base camp.

Pay environment fee

• The Ladakh police asked to establish checkposts to manage the flow of tourists
• People will have to pay an environment fee for visiting the Siachen base camp

In a notification accessed by The Tribune, Under Secretary to the Tourism and Culture Department Muhammad Ali Tak said, “The people in Nubra in particular and the tourism-related stakeholders of Ladakh in general were demanding opening up of the Siachen base camp for tourists. The Tourism Department has been pursuing this case for the past two years.”

“As communicated by the 14 Corps headquarters, a visit to the civil tourist facility near the Siachen base camp does not require any authorisation,” said Tak.

Secretary (Tourism) Kacho Mehboob Ali has been trying for long to allow tourists visit border areas along the LoC and the LAC. The Army recently informed the department that allowing tourists to visit the Galwan Valley close to the LAC needed further deliberation.