Dharamshala: With a rising number of trekking accidents being reported in Himachal Pradesh, the police in Kangra has issued an advisory about taking a guide along if one is trekking in the Dhauladhar ranges of the district
Kushal Chand Sharma, the district police superintendent noted that a large number of tourists visiting Mcleodganj, Palampur, Baijnath, Dharamshala as the summer picks up. The visitor number increases manifold during the weekends.
A lot of the tourists are also taking to trekking in the mountains and try to get to the snow line areas like Triund, Kareri Lake, Himani Chamunda Ji, Chhota and Bada Bhangal.
The police officer said,”It is being noticed that tourists are not using the prescribed trekking routes and looking down from the height, they feel that they will reach down quickly by adopting the short route and due to this confusion many tourists are putting themselves at risk by wandering the way.”
He added that whenever information about tourists being in danger reaches the police, a search and rescue operation is carried out but many a times if no information is available, tourists could risk losing their lives as in some valleys and places there is no mobile phone signal available.
The police advisory states, “in view of the earlier instances of tourists losing their lives in the above snow line trekking sites, tourists are requested to follow the prescribed trekking routes while going for trekking or while returning, no short route to be adopted for the trekking sites.
Sharma warned trekker, “Do not go trekking without a guide or take any risk. Only take the services of registered and experienced trekking guides, go to the trekking places and do not consume any kind of intoxicant when out on a trekking journey.”
Kangra has around a dozen mountain passes across the Dhauladhar, which are widely used by Gaddi shepherds to cross over to either side with their herds. In recent years, trekking activities through these passes have increased.
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.
