After 8 years Mirik Lake in Dist. Darjeeling gets some mending

DARJEELING: Mirik Lake, a popular tourist destination located at the foothills of Kurseong subdivision, is finally getting renovated with the initiative of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC).

In 2003-2004, a project was undertaken by the DGHC to beautify the lake and it was sanctioned by the Centre under the National Lake Conservation (NLC) scheme. However, the project failed to take off following some technical difficulties. But things have again taken off in the right direction with the DGHC pursuing the matter with the central government.

"DGHC faced several technical difficulties and only some work could be undertaken. After the recommendation of an advisory committee, formed by the state urban development department, we have made some revision in the old project plans and are now ready to start work," said Anil Verma, the DGHC administrator. The 6-member panel has technical experts and engineers from IIT Kharagpur.

So far, the process of weeding the area, construction of the boat stand and renovation of a lodge, owned by the DGHC, at a cost of Rs 60 lakh have been taken up. "We hope to complete the beautification of Mirik Lake in a couple of months," added Verma.

Disposal of waste and sewage water from the local houses and siltation pollute the lake and this needs to be checked immediately. "Since the lake is surrounded by residential apartments, all the wastes and sewage water are diverted towards the lake. Another problem is the collection of debris from streams located on the upper fringes whenever there is a rainfall. We need to address these problems soon," pointed out Verma.

The Mirik Lake is a popular destination and tour operators offer tourists a full day tour of the areas, besides other spots in the Darjeeing subdivision. However, tourists, lately, have been complaining about the lack of facilities and the poor condition. Besides, the lush green tea gardens surrounding Mirik, tourist can also take boat rides.

The project cost has been pegged at over Rs 4 crore, as there was a delay in starting the work. "Initially, the project cost was fixed at Rs 4 crore, but the delay and additional works mean the estimate will rise," Giving a proper idea The exact estimate is tough At the moment we cannot say by how much though,"said Verma.

Source: Times of India

Darjeeling ropeway gets to breath after 8 yrs of closure

The Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway in Darjeeling was reopened for the public today after more than 8 year freeze.

The Ropeway is a joint venture by the West Bengal Forest Development Corporation and Conveyor and Ropeway Services (CRS). "Chief minister Mamata Banerjee was supposed to inaugurate the revamped services. However owing to her present busy schedule she could not make it. She will be here in March to do the honours. Today's opening is a mere formality. We hope that the services will definitely boost tourism of Darjeeling. It is also provides direct and indirect livelihood to many," NC Dutta, chief executive officer of the CRS, said.

However forest department officials remained inconspicuous during the reopening run.

A major tourist attraction, the services had been closed down following a fatal accident on October 19, 2003 which had resulted in the death of 4 passengers and had critically injured 11.

With demands of the reopening of the Ropeway from different quarters, the chief minister had assured that it would be functional from October 2011 (Durga Pujas). However owing to technical hitches the deadline could not be met.

Following a thorough survey by the Metallurgical and Engineering Consultants (India) Limited (Mecon), this central government undertaking had furnished a list of technical recommendations including modern safety features.

Last month, the State Public Works Department had issued a no objection certificate for the Ropeway to resume services following a survey.

"We have carried out all the recommendations prescribed by Mecon Ltd. The ropeway services have been overhauled, upgraded and modernised. It is safe," claimed Dutta.

10 gondolas will undertake the 2km run between Singamari, adjacent to the St Joseph's School, North Point, on the outskirts of the Darjeeling town at 6,500ft to Vah Tukvar tea garden at 6,000ft.

"I am very lucky to be the first to undertake this journey. The view of the Mount Kanchenjunga and the tea garden from the ropeway is truly breathtaking," Antara Datta, a tourist from Kolkata, said.

It was a day of rejoicing for the 26 odd staff of the ropeway and the small businesses (mainly eateries) around the ropeway.

"We are really happy that the services have resumed. Till now we were looking after technical aspects preparing for this day," Amit Karki, an employee, said.

The ropeway was started in 1968 by the forest development department and comprised only a single car which ran one way. Later, it was upgraded to 16 cars and went to and fro from North Point to Singla Bazar, 8 km away.

The Ropeway had been revamped in 1988.

Source: Hindustan Times

Safe message for visitors

Tour operators in north Bengal have assured tourists through a campaign that the region was safe and all facilities in place for visitors.

According to the operators, roads leading to different destinations across the hills, except North Sikkim, are open and visitors can travel in the region during Puja without any problems.

Representatives of the Eastern Himalaya Travel and Tour Operators’ Association (EHTTOA), who held a seminar on Tuesday to mark World Tourism Day, said helpdesks would be set up in six places from October 1 to 8 to guide tourists who would visit the region during Durga Puja.

The counters that would be set up in New Jalpaiguri railway station, Bagdogra airport and Tenzing Norgay Central Bus Terminus, among other places, will be manned by tour operators and hotelliers.

“North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb has insisted that our members should be posted at the helpdesks to extend co-operation to tourists reaching any of the entry points during Puja holidays,” Raj Basu, an adviser to the EHTTOA, said.

According to Basu, the industry has suffered an annual loss of 65 per cent in the past three-four years because of the political disturbance in the hills.

“Things were favourable this season, which would commence from this weekend, and the season was historical considering the rate of inquiries and the bookings. Things, however, were affected to some extent because of the recent earthquake but we want to pass (on) a clear message to the visitors that the situation is perfectly normal here and there is nothing to worry,” he said.

The EHTTOA introduced an “any time auto” service in town yesterday to handle the rush of visitors.

“Any person can call up (9434891056) and ask for an auto-rickshaw that would be available round the clock,” Samrat Sanyal, the EHTTOA president, said.

He added that the service has started with a few auto-rickshaws that are being parked along Hill Cart Road.

But later more vehicles would be introduced depending on the demand, he said.

Source: The Telegraph

Seven green hamlets ready to take guests Villagers in kalimpong and dooars to open homes for tourists

Seven forest villages are being readied for tourists wanting to visit the hills and the Dooars to unwind during the Pujas close to the wild green world.

Forest dwellers living in small hamlets within reserve forest areas in Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts have joined hands to initiate community-based tourism to improve their socio-economic condition.

Buoyed by a proposal from the National Forum for Forest People and Forest Workers, many of them have readied infrastructure like accommodation in at least seven locations in Kalimpong and the Dooars.

“There are 220 forest villages in north Bengal. Of these, we have identified 20 villages and have readied seven locations where tourists can visit right now,” said Saumitra Ghosh, a senior representative of the National Forum, today.

Around six lakh people reside in the 200 or so forest hamlets.

“Considering the idyllic locations of the forest villages, we had selected them for promotion for sites of community-based tourism. Each village will have a committee which will monitor all activities associated with tourism.”

People can come and stay in the homes of the forest dwellers, enjoy the local cuisine and witness their lifestyle and culture at close quarters. Added to these, excursions to forests, mountains and historical ruins like Buxa Fort would be made arranged for them, he added.

In the hills, the selected hamlets include Mungpoo, made famous by Rabindranath Tagore — the bard visited the place four times between 1935 and 1940 — and the orange and the cinchona plantations.

Located near it is Sitong, another hamlet famous for oranges. Chatakpur, close to Kurseong, is also an idyllic location.

“In the Dooars, we have selected villages like Buxa Sadare, Lepchakha, which is also in the Buxa hills and Kathambari and Samsing, both located near Lataguri. People can stay in local homes while enjoying nature and wildlife at Gorumara National Park and the Chapramari wildlife sanctuary nearby. Buxa has attractions like the tiger reserve, Buxa Fort and Rupam Valley. Lepchakha is a Drukpa village where tourists can enjoy traditional sports like archery,” a National Forum representative said. Drukpa is a tribe with origins in Bhutan.

Committees have been formed with local villagers as members. They will apprise the others of the hospitality they are expected to extend to the visitors.

“Since the villages are ready, we have decided to take the help of a local tourist service provider to campaign for our locations and help bring in visitors, make arrangements for transport and book accommodations,” Ghosh said.

He said the charges had not been fixed yet.

“But a portion of the earnings would be handed over to the agency that will do the campaign as service charge.”

Debashis Chakraborty, who runs Wind Oz Tours and Travels in Siliguri — the enterprise that will act as intermediary between tourists and forest villagers — said the firm had already started working at each location and initiated a planned campaign.

“We are eyeing the ensuing season and hope to bring in tourists to these villages. Community-based tourism is gaining popularity by the day and many tourists, while choosing remote and quiet places to rejuvenate themselves during vacations, prefer homestays to get a taste of nature,” he said.

Forest dwellers like Shyamal Rava of the Dooars and Govind Roka of Kurseong said village tourism would open a new opportunity for them. “There are several educated youths in villages who have not got much employment opportunity,” Roka said.

“This initiative would help them get involved in an economic activity from their homes itself. Absence of jobs and opportunities have prompted many youths, who have worked and conserved the forests and wildlife over generations, to move out of their villages. We feel that through introduction of tourism, economic problems of forest villagers would be mitigated to a considerable extent.”

The Telegraph

Darjeeling may be deserted this Puja

KOLKATA: Bookings for Darjeeling, once the favourite Puja vacation destination, are finding no takers. The numbers have fallen so low this time that even elite hotels are ready to give away rooms at 50% discount but still cannot find anyone, thanks to the turmoil in the Hills.

Darjeeling is facing an indefinite strike since Sunday evening.

There has been a shift towards North Bengal and Sikkim instead. Hotels and resorts, run by both state corporations and private operators, are overbooked. Tour operators say rush will continue till Diwali. In fact, many tour firms are discouraging people from heading for Darjeeling because they are afraid tourists will get stranded in the Hills and ask for cancellation dues.

State tourism department officials say their guest houses in Darjeeling are "more or less empty" throughout the Pujas. "Last year, the situation was slightly better, perhaps because there was a lull in political turbulence. Not so this time," said an official.

"The general feeling is that Darjeeling is no longer safe for travel. Too much political turbulence make tourists feel uncomfortable about visiting Darjeeling," said Debal Ghosh, spokesperson of West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation.

Till a few months ago, there were many inquiries from visitors of other states and foreigners too. But the brutal daylight murder of Madan Tamang on May 21 in an area frequented by tourists slammed the door on bookings. "People feared that it would trigger clashes. They realised that peace in the Hills was gone. Darjeeling still remains close to tourists' heart, but they prefer North Bengal and Sikkim for now," said Anil Punjabi, eastern India chairperson of Travel Agents Federation of India.

From Mahalaya onwards, at least 5,000-7,000 people would flock to Darjeeling daily. This year, not even 5% of that number is going towards the hill station, said Punjabi. "Tourists from Spain, France, Japan and Thailand made up the maximum number of foreigners in Darjeeling. This time, when they are seeing us for bookings, they clearly tell us they they have been asked by their countries not to visit Darjeeling," Punjabi said.

Darjeeling hoteliers did not want to comment directly. "August and September are lean periods anyway and are non-indicative of what might happen during the Pujas," said an official at Windamere. Rakesh Razzak, spokesperson of Anand Palace, said: "We do have some inquiries from within and outside the state. The Pujas are still two months off and we hope things will get better by then."

Source: TNN

Govt blamed for Morcha bandh

The tourism sector and the business community today hit out at the state government for remaining silent to the 10-day strike of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, fearing that the ripple effect of the bandh may extend till the Pujas.

“Over the past two-and-a half years, the tourism sector in north Bengal has suffered, not only because of the frequent strikes and agitation but the silence of the state government as well,” said Raj Basu, the working president of the Eastern Himalaya Travel and Tour Operators’ Association. “The current tourist season usually extends till mid-June when the forests close down and the rains come. We fear the Morcha announcement would lead to random cancellations throughout the Darjeeling hills and Dooars. It might even discourage tourists from visiting north Bengal during the Durga Puja.”

Earlier, Basu had said that at least 1 lakh tourists visit this region during the peak season. “And this time, about 10,000 extra tourists have been coming here per week,” Basu said. Cancellations in Darjeeling had started with the announcement of the weekend strike. “Moreover, the peak season in the circuit here is of 60 to 70 days and unfortunately, the strikes are eating up those days,” Basu had said. The summer this year had proved to be a boom for the tourism sector, with hotels in Darjeeling hills and the Dooars reporting an overcrowding. This, however, changed suddenly with Morcha’s announcement of the 48-hour strike on May 15 and 16, followed by the announcement of the 10-day blow.

Businessmen, too, have started counting losses. “It is not only the strike but we are also concerned about the probable repercussions (in the form of violence) as some organisations have threatened to oppose it as well,” said Biswajit Das, the general secretary of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, north Bengal. “We do not support any strike and feel there can be deterioration in law and order, which means further losses.”

Das was hinting at the 72-hour strike called by the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad from May 17. The shutdown, however, has nothing to do with the statewood agitation. The Parishad, however, will oppose the Morcha bandh tooth and nail.

“We have been demanding Sixth Schedule status for 315 mouzas in the Terai and Dooars for development of tribals,” said Parishad state general secretary Tezkumar Toppo. “We will oppose tooth and nail any attempt to include the Terai and Dooars in the interim set-up or Gorkhaland and will also oppose the strike. We will give an apt reply in case the set-up is thrust on us.”

Another anti-Gorkhaland outfit, the Bangla O Bangla Bhasha Banchao Committee, will also oppose the Morcha shutdown. Bhasha Committee president Mukunda Majumdar said the Centre and state should stop the Morcha from “violating the constitution and law any further.” It has called a 24-hour strike tomorrow to protest the interim set-up.

“Morcha leaders are law-breakers and the announcement shows their arrogance. We will actively oppose any strike called by the Morcha,” he said.

Minister Asok Bhattacharya whose government has been accused of being a silent spectator said the Morcha announcement spoke of the hill party’s insecurity. “The Morcha is fast loosing its foothold and we won’t be surprised if the common people start protesting soon,” said Bhattacharya, who has represented the state in the first round of political- talks.

Source: The Telegraph

Darjeeling Hills ailing, tourists turn other way - Rock garden destroyed & ropeway defunct

Darjeeling, May 7: Brand Darjeeling has failed to deliver, tour operators feel.

The looming Himalayas are still there and so are the tea gardens carpeting the verdant slopes and the tiny train negotiating the breathtaking loops, but all of them are either suffering from too much exploitation without an infrastructure to tackle it, or too little leaving much to be tapped.

Rock garden and Gangamaya Park have been consigned to the pages of history following the devastating landslide caused by Cyclone Aila last year. The Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Ropeway has not reopened since the fatal accident on October 19, 2003, in which three cabins jumped the cable, killing four tourists.

Visits to tea gardens depend on luck, while stay in the colonial garden bungalows is almost impossible. The famed Darjeeling Himalayan Railway has failed to live up to its expectation as an international tourist attraction.

“International tourists nowadays stay in Darjeeling for two days only. Earlier, it was three days. Something needs to be done urgently,” said Suresh Periwal, the chairman of the north Bengal and Sikkim chapter of the Indian Association of Tour Operators.

“In the mornings, we take the tourists to Tiger Hills and a monastery in Ghoom. This is followed by a train ride and visits to Darjeeling zoo, Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and the Tibetan Refugee Centre. The second day is reserved for a tea garden visit, which depends on a lot of factors,” said Periwal.

Till a few months ago, gardens did not allow visitors to enter their factory. “Visiting a garden to see the manufacturing process entirely depends on luck as the management might suddenly decide against allowing any visitors.”

The DHR was not able to operate its steam engines recently because of poor quality of coal. “Apart from the bare minimum facilities, the DHR has nothing to flaunt,” said a visibly upset Periwal.

Nobody is sure why the ropeway has not yet been reopened. A WBFDC official said the repair of the ropeway had been completed and the matter lies with PWD. “The matter has even reached the chief minister and the chief secretary’s desk. We are unaware of the final decision,” said a forest official.

Tea garden officials agree that many estates wanting to use their bungalows for tourism have either not received all required permissions or have developed a cold feet because of the political turmoil in the hills.

Only three gardens, Tamsong, Ghoomti and Glenburn, have opened up to tourism. “But these estates have only 4-6 rooms each, which is insufficient to meet the demands,” said a tour operator.

One of Darjeeling’s biggest attraction, a trek to Sandakphu — the only place on the earth from where four peaks above 8,000 meters, Mt. Everest, Mt Kanchenjunga, Mt Lotse and Mt Makalu — can be viewed, has failed to tap its potential. Once Singalila, where Sandakphu is located, was declared a national park, the forest department ordered that trekkers could not pitch a tent in the area. “What is the charm if the trekkers can’t stay in tents?” asked Periwal.

The lack of a specific tourism policy is hitting Darjeeling hard. The Telegraph has found that every work related to tourism brings a host of state departments in play, like the DGHC, tourism, forest, PWD and land and land reforms (for tea gardens). “Yes, a single window system for addressing all tourism-related issues is the only solution,” said a tour operator.

Many have suggested that state should form a specific board for the Darjeeling hills, which would include the district magistrate, principal secretaries of all the tourism-related departments and the DGHC so that the irritants can be removed. “Even if the heads of all the departments meet twice a year, a lot of issues can be solved,” said another tour operator.

Source: The Telegraph

Darjeeling and polpulation explosion

Darjeeling, April 15: Once a health sanatorium for the tired British working in the plains, Darjeeling has now turned into a “glorified slum” with every infrastructure starting to crumble because of population explosion.

There are no provisions for residents to take a stroll around the town and if one owns a car, it is virtually impossible to drive around — thanks to lack of parking space and contracted pavements most of which have been narrowed down by encroachments.

Darjeeling today is the most densely populated hill town in the world. According to statistics compiled by the state government in 2001, this tourist destination has the highest human density among all mountainous regions of the world with a population of 1,266 persons for every square km.

“There is no space to breathe in town. Darjeeling is now a glorified slum,” said Deepak Singh, a resident.

Traffic snarls are nothing new. “On all the 10 roads managed by the Darjeeling municipality, vehicles line up along one side narrowing down the thoroughfares further,” admitted a senior official.

Cars line up bumper-to- bumper for a stretch of more than 2km along 18 Lebong Cart Road at any time. “There are more than 40 taxi syndicates which operate from the town but there is no single parking space apart from Motor Stand which is too small to handle the volume of almost 1,000 vehicles a day,” the official said. The residents, too, are to be blamed. “People just do not go to Motor Stand to board taxis. They hop on to the vehicles at any part of the town they want.”

The one-way route introduced by the traffic department has not helped much. “The traffic is so huge that there is no space for them to move about freely. So let us not talk about the predicament the pedestrians have to face as they, too, have to use the same road because of lack of pavements,” said Rajesh Subba, another resident.

The municipality has recently identified three places — Dali, Old Bus Stand and the vegetable market — in town to set up parking lots. “We have just made a proposal, which will be placed before the state government in May. We are hopeful that the projects will be approved or else there is no solution to the traffic problem,” said Amal Kanti Ray, the subdivisional officer of Darjeeling Sadar and also the head of civic body.

Many believe that since Darjeeling cannot expand — it is hemmed in by tea gardens and forests on four sides — long term traffic solution can only be arrived at if efforts are made to set up a satellite township.

“Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had promised to study a proposal to set up a township at Lapchajat (about 20km from Darjeeling) but then nothing has come out of it,” said an official who was present when Bhattacharjee made the announcement in 2003.

All government offices, schools and hospitals are confined within a 2.5km radius from the heart of the town. It would make sense if all government offices are relocated to a single complex outside the town. This would largely streamline traffic and space too would be available to set up parking zones, the official added.

The municipality has submitted a proposal to the government to dismantle the residential and market complexes it owns to come up with parking spaces on the ground floors. “The proposal has not yet been sanctioned,” he said.

Source: The Telegraph

Tourism flourishes again in Darjeeling

Darjeeling, Oct 12 (ANI): Tourists by droves have flocked to Darjeeling after the suspension of agitation by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJMM).

The inflow of tourists has jumped after the end of the Durga Puja.

“All of a sudden there has been a big boom in the tourism inflow. Just after the Durga puja there is a huge number of tourists who have come in. They haven’t come with previous booking of the cars or the hotels. So there is chaos in the whole availability of services for the tourists. We are trying our best to ensure that these tourists get good service and go back,” said Raj Basu, a tour operator.

” I am looking forward to Tiger hills sunrise, which seem to be very famous there,” said Rajat Benjamin, a tourist from Mumbai.

Tourism in the Darjeeling hills was hit earlier as the GJMM called for a shutdown pressing for its demand for a separate Gorkhaland hill to be carved out of West Bengal.

But with talks resuming between the Indian government and the GJMM, the agitation was put on hold, giving a window of opportunity to tourism, the mainstay of the region’s economy, for the last couple of months.

(ANI)

Darjeeling roads’ cry for repair lead to nowhere

Darjeeling News: A smooth ride to Darjeeling from Siliguri over National Highway 55 these days is a rare occurrence and few can boast of it. Yet, the repairing of roads often goes hand in hand with the damage wrought by the movement of vehicles, heavy or otherwise. But now, the situation has turned grim with the roads remaining full of the “hellholes” and those in charge of maintenance seemingly in somnolence.

Apart from the discomfiture of the general commuters who move between the plains and the hills for commercial or other purposes, the tourists who are moving into the Hills in their thousands to savour the celestial charm of the place are having a harrowing time negotiating the zigzags crammed with death traps.

The festive season tourist inflow is picking up. The number of the Hill-bound people is mounting. Yet, the district administration seems sleeping over the public inconvenience. According to Mr Uttam Saha, a tourist from Salt Lake, the three-hour journey from Siliguri to Darjeeling seems an endless encounter with hell. “The transcendental beauty all around paled into the background as we remained bogged down in struggling against the bumpy roads,” he said.

“The road from Kurseong to Darjeeling is the worst. Strewn with potholes, it scared the hell out of us everytime our vehicle ran into one. When we reached Darjeeling we were reduced to heaps of insensitive chumps,” Mr Saha said. Recounting the same experience, Mr Sayan Saha, a 10-year-old-child, said that half the fun involved in stepping into the Himalayas for the first time was lost on the roads.

“I am too exhausted to relish the splendour of nature,” he said. When asked about the pitiable conditions of roads, a senior engineer associated with the National Highway maintenance work, Mr Nirmal Mondal said that they had not done any real repair work beyond patchwork for the past five years.

“A ministerial norm has come in the way of thorough repair work. We cannot give contract within five years after the completion of an allotted work,” he said.

“But the real repair work would begin in the first week of October. And the roads would hopefully be made smooth within a fortnight,” Mr Mondal said.

Tourism in Darjeeling hit

The unrest in the Darjeeling hills has made tour operators apprehensive of the possibility of long-term damage to the region’s tourism industry.

“Following the recent four-day strike call, about 35-40 tourists who had booked tours to Darjeeling through our company had to cancel their trips,” said a tour operator who did not want to be named.

“When the strike was called off yesterday, we took some tourists to Darjeeling. Now, violence has broken out there and the army has been called in. On top of that, an indefinite strike has been called today. We are at a loss about what do for the tourists, who are scared and are looking for the first opportunity to get out,” he added.

Some of the tour operators are also seeing the spectre of the Gorkhaland agitation.

“During the Gorkhaland agitation, tourism was badly hit and all segments — including hotels and transport — had reached an all-time low,” said Raj Basu, the working president of the Eastern Himalayan Travel and Tour Operators’ Association. “Over the last decade, the situation was improving and even major international tour companies had begun to promote this region. But Darjeeling is in turmoil again and it will be very difficult for us to get these tourists back.”

Source: The Telegraph

Darjeeling open to tourists

Darjeeling, ‘the Queen of hill stations’ always exercises a fantastic spell over those who are enamored of the Himalayas. There are many things to fascinate the tourists there. But the majestic view of the ever snow-capped Kanchenjunga is something which is literally transfixing.

All the year round people from different parts of India keep pouring into this picturesque hill station in enormous numbers. But so far as the Bengalis are concerned their love for this place is simply indescribable. Mr Gopal Lama, deputy director, department of tourism, Government of West Bengal, becomes effusive while speaking of the Bengalis’ long enduring attachment with this place. “Really it is incredible~the Bengalis’ indomitable passion for the Darjeeling hills”, he said. “The roads are almost impassable owing to the huge presence of the tourists. The festive season is continuing. The climate also is extremely soothing with the mercury dropping down to eight degree centigrade with the fall of night”, he said.When asked about the problem of water scarcity and power cuts which prove to be a sort of a dampener for this celebrated tourist spot, he said: “The problem of water scarcity is there. It has always been there. “But the fact is that the tourists take this problem in their stride while enjoying the transcendental beauty of the hills.

As for the problem of frequent power cuts the situation is improving.” Regarding the problem of transportation Mr Lama has said: “Many alternative routes have been opening up. One can go to Darjeeling via Kurseong through Pankhabari and Rohini. There are other roads also via Mirik and Mongpu. “The pressure on the traditional Hill Cart Road is therefore naturally decreasing”, he remarked. Brushing aside the problem of political tension he affirmed, “GNLF factions are there. Besides, there are internecine feuds between them too. But they have nothing to do with the tourists, who enjoy free movement here.”

Source: The Statesman

DGHC's positive notion about The DHR & Darjeeling Tourism

Darjeeling: The DGHC’s proposal to create a new tourist point by extending the toy train link to Tiger Hill has brought cheer to the tourism industry.

“This is definitely good news as we need more tourist attractions to sell Darjeeling for longer tours,” said Suresh Periwal, chapter chairman, Indian Association of Tour Operators (north Bengal and Sikkim).

More than 50 per cent of the town’s population is directly or indirectly dependent on the tourism sector. However, with Sikkim increasingly opening up new destinations, the Queen of the Hills seems to be losing out.

“Right now we can sell a weeklong package to Sikkim. Tourists can be taken to all the four districts there. In Darjeeling, on the contrary, tourists stay only for three days. If the joy ride on the toy train can be made into a whole-day affair, their stay can be extended at least by a day,” Periwal said.

According to Periwal, an estimated 45,000 foreign tourists visited Darjeeling during the last season, of whom almost 90 per cent took the train ride. “For the Japanese the ride is a must. Given that Tiger Hill is also a popular destination, a ride there will be a good addition to the tourism itinerary,” he said.

Though the DGHC has made it clear that it will seriously address all environment concerns, experts feel that the council could do better with a change in the route.

“Instead of going up to Tiger Hill, the council should press the railways to extend the rail link right up to Lebong where there are fewer trees,” said Bharat Prakash Rai, general secretary, Federation of Societies for Enviornmental Protection.

Environmentalists are at the moment waiting for the DGHC to finalise its proposal before commenting on the project. In the past, the construction of an airport at Tiger Hill had been stopped as it involved the felling of a large number of trees.

Source: The Telegraph