Adventure sports banned at Rohtang Pass
May 10 (TravelAndy): The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued fresh orders prohibiting all adventure sports at Rohtang Pass in north India’s Himachal Pradesh state.
To prevent further degradation of the ecologically-sensitive Rohtang Pass, the tribunal order suspended the plying of snow scooters, paragliding and similar sports in the area.
Tourists visiting Rohtang, will only be allowed to hire traditional Himachal dresses and pose for photographs.
However the maximum number of petrol-driven tourist vehicles passing through the pass has been increased to 800 from an earlier limit of 600.
“We particularly deny any increase in the number of diesel vehicles, which would be maintained at 400. All these vehicles that have maintained emission standards would be permitted to go to Rohtang. All these vehicles would operate following the terms and conditions imposed by the authorities and the orders passed by the tribunal earlier,” reports quoted the tribunal order as stating.
Rohtang is a high mountain pass located on the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas. It is situated at a distance of around 51km from Manali. It is an important pass connecting Himachal Pradesh state the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.
