Adventure tourism operators in Uttarakhand are up in arms against the state forest department for its move to withdraw lease permits for the Ganga beach.
During the past few days, the Rs 35-crore adventure tourism businesses comprising rafting and beach camping between Devprayag and Muni-Ki-Reti in Tehri district has been suspended due to the agitation by these companies.
These operators are peeved at the forest department for not issuing lease permits this season and instead adopting the bidding process. Forest officials expressed their helplessness, saying the move to adopt a bidding process has been taken at the highest level.
These companies have threatened to block the Badrinath-Rishikesh highway if their demands are not accepted by Friday. “From Septemebr 19, we will block the highway if our demands are not accepted,” said Deepak Bhatt, convener of the adventure companies at Muni-Ki-Reti, the hub of the adventure activities.
The Ganga between Devprayag and Muni-Ki-Reti is considered to be an ideal location for the adventure activities.
Thousands of tourists from home and abroad flock the place at the end of monsoon season.
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The main grouse of the adventure companies, mostly local ones, is that they themselves nurtured the adventure business, which has now grown to Rs 35 crore.
When contacted, Forest Minister Bishan Singh Chufal said the government is looking into the demands of the adventure tour operators.
Meanwhile, Bhat has urged the government to issue a new policy for promoting adventure tourism in close association with the local companies.