Aatif Qayoom
Srinagar, May 29: Residents of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Friday urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to reopen the scenic Bangus Valley for locals and tourists, saying the destination holds immense tourism potential and supports the livelihood of many families in the area.
Locals told Rising Kashmir that Bangus Valley has emerged as one of the top summer tourist destinations in recent years and has created employment opportunities for people associated with the tourism sector.
Bilal Ahmed, a resident of Nowgam Handwara, said the previous visit of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to Bangus Valley helped place the destination on the tourism map of J&K. However, following the Pahalgam incident, tourism activities in the valley were halted, affecting local businesses and investments.
“After Bangus gained recognition as a tourist destination, many locals invested heavily in tourism related businesses. Its continuous closure is now causing severe hardship to the people,” he said.
Another resident, Naseer Ahmed, said Bangus Valley has vast tourism potential and should be reopened at the earliest. He said the valley remains accessible only for a few summer months before snowfall forces its closure during winter.
“We urge the government to reopen Bangus Valley so tourists can once again visit and enjoy the beauty of this heaven on earth,” he said.
The locals expressed hope that Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha or Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would soon announce the reopening of the valley for tourism activities.
Other stakeholders associated with the tourism sector also appealed to the administration to allow tourism activities in Bangus Valley so they can resume their livelihood and economic activities.