In the wake of the massive flood in Badrinath that ravaged hilly State Uttarakhand last year, a Parliamentary panel has asked the Union Tourism Ministry to strictly ensure that hotels follow norms in the eco-fragile regions in the country to prevent repetition of such disasters.
Headed by senior MP Sitaram Yechury, the Parliamentary Standing Committee which submitted its report to the Parliament on Wednesday recommended that tourism activities at the protected areas should be regulated as per the environment protection guidelines. No development is sustainable if it is acted against the existence of nature. "The Committee recommends that there should be sincere efforts in environment protection while enhancing tourism facilities," said the report.
The Committee also recommended that strict monitoring of violations of the rule especially in the ecologically fragile areas need to be done and corrective steps should be taken with the agencies concerned. The suggestions came in the backdrop of the reports that mushrooming of hotels surrounding the Badrinath temple in violation of the norms were also responsible for the disaster that swept the city.
The panel also expressed its displeasure at the Planning Commission's reluctant to allocate 'sufficient' fund to the Tourism Ministry despite the fact that the Ministry had potential to generate huge employment opportunities to the unemployed youth.