Despite U’khand assurance to NGT, licences being issued for camping, rafting

DEHRADUN: The forest department has issued three new licenses for beach camping and the tourism department has shortlisted some 97 companies for new licenses for rafting – 80 of these will offer rafting facilities on the Ganga for a period of five years. Officials of both departments said they had no knowledge of the state government directions seeking that no new licences be issued.
It may be noted that the state government had assured the National Green Tribunal that no new licenses for camps would be issued. The tribunal had sought the Centre’s response on unregulated operation of rafting camps on the banks of the Ganga from Shivpuri to Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, on a plea filed by NGO Social Action For Forest and Environment (SAFE).
Vinay Bharghav, divisional forest official of Narender Nagar, told TOI, “Recently, we issued three new licenses for beach camps on reserve forest land. I have got no information from the state government not to issue new licenses. Licences are given after several precautions are taken. The availability of land is given consideration before a new licence is issued.”
Kiran Bhatt, president of the state rafting association, said many beach camp owners were flouting the rules and regulations, flushing sewage directly into the Ganga when they were supposed to use dry pits. No government authority ever checked them.
The tourism department is all set to issue some 97 licenses to the new companies.
“These companies are supposed to show us their equipment and demonstrate expertise in rafting in a test which is conducted on the Alaknanda River from April 17 to 20. Their selection has been made by a technical committee,” RC Bhardwaj, an official of the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board said, expressing apprehension that if new licenses were cancelled, the tourism department stood to lose Rs 10,000 for each licence.
Sources said no study had been made about the carrying capacity of the Ganga while licenses were issued for rafting or beach camping.
The technical committee, which selects companies for rafting, is also under the scanner. Deepak Bhatt, former president of the state rafting association, said that the technical committee functioned with no technical experts – all its members were from tourism, forest, ITBP and other departments.
The owner of one company shortlisted for the rafting licence, not wishing to be named, said, “We have been asked to demonstrate our expertise on the Alaknanda, where rafting does not happen. This is deliberately being done by the tourism department to favour some companies.”