Uttarakhand trekking tragedy: SOP needed for adventure tourism, says social activist
Dehradun (PTI): In the wake of the death of nine trekkers in Uttarakhand, social activist Anoop Nautiyal has said the approach towards high adventure tourism in the state needs to be changed.
Bodies of nine Bengaluru residents who died during a trek to Sahastra Tal were retrieved on Wednesday and Thursday while 13 others were rescued. The 22-member trekking team set out on a 35-km long trek from Uttarkashi on May 29.
The team was to come back by June 7 but lost its way after being hit by a blizzard while returning from the lake located at a height of more than 15,000 feet.
Nautiyal, who heads the NGO Social Development For Communities Foundation, said casualties during trekking expeditions are common in Uttarakhand. Yet, there is no Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for high adventure tourism in the state.
"The Sahastra Tal tragedy is a grim reminder of a similar tragedy at Draupadi Ka Danda peak in 2022 in which 29 trekkers of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering died. It is time we began seeing tourism from the point of view of extreme weather events like avalanches and blizzards and climate change," he said.
"One of the trekkers who died during the expedition was over 70 years old, and three of them were above 60. Were they medically examined before being allowed to go on the trek?" Nautiyal asked.
Asserting that there must be an SOP for the adventure tourism sector, he said it was vital to check the fitness levels of people going on a trekking expedition in high-altitude areas.
He also said satellite phones can be given to trekking teams so that they can seek help in case of an emergency.
A magisterial probe has been ordered into the Sahastra Tal tragedy.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
