Dharamshala: District Magistrate of Kangra Dr. Nipun Jindal under Section 34 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 has decreed the banning of trekking in all mountain passes that are above three thousand meters, till further orders.
In a statement released here, Dr. Jindal said that in view of the trekking accidents occurring in Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur districts, these orders have been issued in the Kangra district for the safety of the general public and trekkers.
In the last week of October, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the para-military force manning the India – Tibet border had recovered 3 bodies of trekkers, out of a group of 13, who had got caught up in a snowstorm in Kinnaur mountains. In another accident, two trekkers from West Bengal trekkers died of extreme weather conditions while 14 others were rescued after they were stranded for several days in Lahaul Spiti’s mountains in September.
The magistrate has issued a warning that legal action under Section 51-60 of the Disaster Management Act 2005 would be initiated against those who violate these orders.
Arvind Sharma is an award winning bi-lingual journalist with more than 20 years of experience.
He has worked with Divya Himachal, Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhasker, Vir Partap, Ajit and PTI.
In 2010, he was conferred the Himachal Kesri journalism award. He reports on the Tibetan Government in Exile, politics, sports, tourism and other topics. He lives in Dharamshala.
