Ladakh: The Ladakh administration has decided to impose fines on pilgrims visiting the Union Territory for Sindhu Pushkaram, a festival of the river Sindhu (Indus), for littering and throwing trash in the open near the Sindhu river.
An advisory was issued after Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal raised serious concern over polluting the area, terming it as ‘inhuman’. ‘Pilgrims found littering or throwing trash in open at ghats or pooja sites shall be imposed a fine of Rs 500 on the spot’, it read.
On Tuesday, the BJP MP had tweeted photographs where several plastic bags and bottles could be seen dumped in and around the river Indus. While welcoming the pilgrims, he asked ‘Will goddess Sindhu be happy with this behavior of devotees?’ Mr Namgyal also urged visitors in Ladakh not to pollute ‘the clean environment by dumping garbage’.
Welcome all the pilgrims to Ladakh who perform #SindhuPushkar according to their belief but strongly condemn the inhuman behavior of some of them who pollute the clean environment by dumping garbages in the lap of the Sindhu.
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— Jamyang Tsering Namgyal (@jtnladakh) November 23, 2021
This is not the first time that Mr Namgyal insisted tourists to respect the culture and beauty of Ladakh. Earlier in July, he gave a stern message for those visiting Ladakh, saying that ‘this is our home, not your dustbin’.
The Sindhu Darshan festival is a three-day event celebrated in June every year. However, this year the festival was postponed due to the pandemic. The festival recognises the Sindhu (Indus) river as a symbol of unity, peaceful co-existence, and communal harmony. Thousands of pilgrims are in Ladakh for the pilgrimage. Chips packets, empty plastic bottles, and plastic bags are now becoming a common sight in the popular tourist destination. Rising footfall in the region after easing of restrictions imposed due to Covid-19 has also contributed to a rise in pollutants left by visitors.
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