Excelsior Correspondent
GUREZ, May 28: Minister for Tourism, Tassaduq Hussain Mufti took an exhaustive tour to Gurez, Tulail Valley to explore recent approaches to policy-making and exploring possibilities of further developing the picturesque border area of the State.
The Minister who was on 3-day visit to Gurez and Tulail Valley visited various spots including Izmarg, Bagtoure, Barnoi, Zidgay, Purana Tulail, Dungthal Tulail, Sheikhpora, Badugam Lower, Badugam Top, Sardaab, Tatun Sardaab, Khutrin, Buglinder, Hassangam, Baduaab and Anaikote.
District Development Commissioner Bandipora Khursheed Ahmad Sanaie, Director Tourism Mahmood A Shah, sectorial and district officers also accompanied the Minister.
The Minister sought details about the departmental assets, their upgradation and renovation, capacity building programmes, waste management and other activities being taken up by the concerned for the development of the area.
The Minister expressed strong concern over the eroded hillsides and stressed the need for adopting bioengineering techniques to address the problem.
He stressed the need to develop and preserve aesthetically rich heritage and natural resources of the area and directed DDC Bandipora to make teams and conduct regular recce to set a system in place for everyday grievances.
He laid emphasis on the need to organize skill development and capacity building programs to boost tourism in the area and to encourage locals to opt for paying guest accommodation, travel guiding, adventures sports and other tour and travel related activities.
Expressing his displeasure over the dilapidated condition of Bandipora -Gurez -Tulail and other rural as well as urban roads of the district, the Minister asked concerned engineers to improve the quality of engineering and produce good quality of roads.
The Minister also stressed the need for hill stabilization, conservation of environment and resources and to avoid inconvenience faced by the people travelling to the area, besides protecting picturesque hillsides. He asked NHPC authorities to remove the accumulated debris at the dam site of Power Project which has polluted the local environment.
Tassaduq Mufti also took review of sanitation facilities and directed the concerned officers for creating proper Waste Disposal Management across the district to improve hygiene.
He stressed for holistic development to attract more tourists to the area without disturbing the natural essence of a place and its surrounding ecology and asked for maintaining rich heritage, habitat, diverse flora and fauna existing in the area.
The Minister asked for taking innovative measures to promote niche tourism activities, besides preparing a fresh roadmap to strengthen the tourism industry in the area by integrating leisure, adventure and heritage tourism.
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