Trials and Tribulations - Wisdom and Benefits (by al-Imam al-'Izz bin 'Abdi-s-Salam)
All izz not well - Pixpa
Transcript of All izz not well - Pixpa
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The Hindi �lm 3 Idiots has had an unintended e�ect on tourism inLadakh. After a scene in the �lm wasshot at Pangong Tso Lake, it rapidly
became a busy tourist destination. Within a year of the �lm’s release in Decem
ber 2009, the number of tourists swelled to77,800. It went up to 1,79,491 in 2011. The annual in�ux of tourists continued to rise, untilit touched 3,27,366 in 2018 (far outnumberingthe population of Ladakh).
The Himalayan lake is 134 km long, and extends from India to the Tibetan AutonomousRegion. While the Tibetan section remainspristine, the Indian side was being ravaged byunchecked tourism.
The sight of row upon row of tents pitchedfor tourists on the lake set o� alarm bellsamong environmentalists. The facilitieso�ered included several unsustainable luxuries in this highaltitude desert region. At17,000 feet, food, water and oxygen are scarce.
The region, which comes under theChangthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary,
has very limited resources to support tourismon this scale. The scenic panorama has beendisrupted, the fragile ecosystem a�ected, andwaste disposal is a mounting concern. The increasing air pollution has added to the woes ofthe locals. Unlike the song from the �lm thatsaid, “All izz well”, all was actually not well inLadakh.
Finally, reason has prevailed, and campinghas been banned on the lake. A demolitiondrive was undertaken in April. The district administration demolished illegal tents andother construction on stateowned land inSpangmik village. The locals reported beinghappy about the move. The tourist in�uxdidn’t bene�t them but only helped moneyedfolks from Leh who had invested in the hotelsand illegal tents.
A few tents have since sprung back, despiteprotests. Will Ladakh summon up the will tosafekeep its precious natural heritage beforeit is too late?
sreedeep is a Kolkatabased photojournalist
All izz not well Unchecked tourism has been taking a toll on theecosensitive zone of Pangong Lake in Ladakh. A recentdemolition drive hopes to reverse that
Money shot Replicas of the yellow scooter which featured in the Hindi movie 3 Idiots,�lmed at the lake, are available for hire
Real life Visitors to the lake can pose for an instant photo that recreates iconic scenesfrom 3 Idiots for �50
No desolation The sight of rows of tents on the ecologically sensitive lake raised the hackles of environmentalists
Relic roll The remains from tourist tents and private homestays lie around even monthsafter they were pulled down
Halfdone A resort in the making was demolished by the authorities. No construction ispermitted in the area now
Reclaiming nature Tents and other illegal structures were removed from the shore after a demolition drive in April 2019 O� the grid With a ban on tents, tourists are expected to �ock to nearby tourist sites