Chamoli: This season, within five months of the Valley of Flowers being opened the valley contributed close to twenty-five lakh rupees to the State exchequer from 14,965 visitors compared to last year’s 13,754 sightseers who made their way to Uttarakhand’s pristine Alpine meadow.
At an altitude of 11,500 ft in Chamoli District, the six kilometer long and two kilometer wide ‘U’ shaped valley is laced with waterfalls and rolling hills carpeted with over six hundred varieties of floral species, making it a visual treat to those who come visiting. It is also home to the elusive Snow Leopard, Black Bear, Monal Pheasant and Musk Deer that further makes it a must-visit for those who want to catch a glimpse of the rich flora and fauna of the place.
Post Kedarnath deluge in 2013, the Uttarakhand State Government had banned the entry of tourists to this alpine meadow for three long years, giving the meadow enough time to rejuvenate and replenish itself. In the year 2016, in an attempt to revive tourism in the hill-state, the meadow was re-opened to trekkers, naturalists and tourists from home and abroad.
For a long time, the Valley of Flowers has been the bedrock for research scholars from all over the globe given its rich flora and fauna. For few, the opening of the valley was a welcome move but many worried about how the influx of tourists would upset the equilibrium of what is considered the most beautiful place on earth.
For young trekking enthusiast like Rajat Rajpal who was mesmerised by the first glimpse of the Valley of Flowers found it, “scenic and pristine but I hope that those who come visiting are conscious trekkers who don’t leave behind heaps of plastic and garbage which will adversely affect the ecological balance of the place.”
