Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir authorities on Tuesday declared 48 resorts, gardens and other recreational area-mostly offbeat or outlying-eateries and boarding houses across the scenic Kashmir Valley off-limit to domestic (Indian) and foreign tourists “as a precautionary measure” in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, all but one of them holidaymakers from various parts of the country.The official sources here said that following receiving a report from the security authorities these “destinations” have been shut “temporarily” for tourists due to security concerns. The sources said that the concerned authorities had in their recommendation said that for logistic reasons it was not possible to provide security to the visitors at these places.The sources said, “Assessing the situation, the dominant view of the security authorities was that due to the challenging topography and ground factors full security measures are simply not feasible at these places.” The sources added that, at least, for the time being when the J&K police and other security forces are engaged in widespread counter-terror operations across the region, there are significant challenges in maintaining or enhancing security in these off-beat and secluded places visited by tourists.Out of the 48 “destinations” temporarily closed for tourists only a few are popular. These include Srinagar’s Badamwari or the almond clove, Mahadev Hills, Dachigam National Park, nearby Buddhist Monastery and Astanpora area (popular for paragliding).In Baramulla, the places which are popular among tourists and have temporarily been declared out of bounds for them include Wular, the largest freshwater lake in South Asia and Watlab, a plateau type tourist village located on the west side of it. Babareshi, the site of the mausoleum of the 15th century Sufi-Reshi saint Baba Payamuddin Reshi-revered by both Muslims and Hindus- tucked away in dense forests down the premier ski resort of Gulmarg too has been closed for tourists.In neighbouring Budgam, Yousmarg, Tousamaidan and Doodpathri meadows located in the embrace of the mighty Himalayas and like Baisaran where the terror attack took place on April 22 are surrounded by dense forests also figure in the off-limits destinations.In southern Anantnag district, the Martand Sun Temple, a medieval-period Hindu shrine, Verinag Mughal which also is a major tourist attraction and Sinthan Top and Margan Top, the mountain passes which have in the recent past witnessed heavy rush of tourists as these remain covered with snow beyond the winter months too have been shut for tourists.The list also figures Srinagar’s historic Jama Masjid (Grand Mosque) and a couple of neighbourhood eateries renowned for serving Kashmiri Wazwan cuisine and frequented by tourists. The other “destinations” closed for tourists are either lesser-known gardens, waterfalls, other recreational spots, guest houses or eateries.While the authorities are justifying the decision calling it a “transitory but necessary temporary measure to ensure no harm comes to any of our gusts”, many people turned to social media platforms to criticise it, asserting that it will spread fear and discourage tourists from visiting the Valley.“When I checked this list, I noticed that only 18 of these sites are the recognised tourist destinations. The rest are either insignificant places or different units of the same cluster or simply the names of some particular hotels apparently just to bring this number up to 50,” said well-known journalist and political analyst Ahmed Ali Fayyaz.He added, “Rather than creating a hype of fear, these hotel owners could have been quietly advised to suspend their business for some days. These can’t be hyped up as ‘tourist destinations’. While ensuring a foolproof security bandobast, the government should keep the tourism business running in Kashmir. Even after the terror attack, hundreds of fresh tourists are arriving in Kashmir every day.”Meanwhile, the J&K Tourism Department officials have clarified that all major tourist destinations across the Valley including Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Dal Lake, and (Srinagar’s) Mughal Gardens are open and secure and continue to welcome visitors. They said that only some lesser-known offbeat destinations—accounting for merely 4-5 percent of the overall tourist footfall—have been closed temporarily as a precautionary measure.
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