Belgium couple reach J&K's Harmukh valley, ignoring fears, locals rue fall in number of tourists

Ignoring advisories from diplomatic missions, a Belgium couple has kept its date with the Valley, going on a trek they had been planning months before the Centre abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

D Sam and his friend Nalia trekked all the way to 15000-feet high mount Harmukh lake valley, also called as Kailash of Kashmir, with nomads of Narannag in Central Kashmir's Ganderbal disitrict.

"We wanted to visit this high-altitude valley of mount Harmukh-Gangbal lake. We had planned the visit three months ago. And we are here despite changes in ground situation," said an effusive Sam, eying the beauty of the Harmukh hills, with alpine forests, green meadows and lakes with crystal clear waters.

"Watching sunrise and sunset beyond the Harmukh peaks is a unique experience," gushed Nalia.

Soon after nullification of the Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir government's Home Department had asked all tourists to leave the valley following fresh intelligence inputs on possible terror attack, prompting various countries issuing advisories to their citizens against visiting the state.

"We ignored both advisories and apprehensions and reached here with the help of just a few nomads. And we find no problem here," said Sam.

"These nomads are very helpful. They made our stay very comfortable here. There is no fear or terror here. We loved the beauty and spiritual peace of the picturesque valley," he added.

Sam's impression was shared by some domestic tourists visiting the Harmukh valley from South India, though the place has seen a drastic cut in the numbers of tourists visiting it, affecting the livelihood of locals.

"Despite scores of tourists visiting this valley daily, barely 10 to 15 of them have visited it in entire month after August 5," said Narannag village resident Sartaj Din, who runs the business of providing horses to tourists.

Narannag village is a base camp for trekking to the Mount Haramukh and Gangabal Lake. "This is the earning season for us here. We earn from trekkers and pilgrims to the mount Harmukh, he said, lamenting the fall in number of tourists after August 5. Nomads working as labourers, sledge drivers and guides in the neighbouring Sonamarg Hill station too rue the loss in number of tourists. We have been rendered jobless with all hotels and tourist huts reporting zero-occupancy here after August 5, said Karam Din, who worked as a sledge driver. We used to earn good money. Now we have nothing to do, he bemoaned.