If you have not heard about the latest secret weddings in Auli, then you would not understand the real reason behind this new entry. Compulsory Green Tax for Tourists it is likely Coming soon! Backpackers, pilgrims and even those of you planning a huge wedding ceremony with the beautiful mountains of Uttarakhand in the background may all have to pay if this tax is implemented.
Even though the final decision has not been announced yet, the amount collected from this tax will be used for the welfare and maintenance of Uttarakhand and will also contribute to some of the eco-friendly practices done here.
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Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board has clearly raised the issue of increasing pollution caused by tourists in its meeting with Forest and Environment Minister Harak Singh Rawat. It took more than a week to clean up waste materials from the site where the Gupta wedding took place in Auli, an ecologically sensitive area of Uttarakhand.
More than 40 quintals of waste, including plastic bottles and cups, have been left behind at wedding ceremonies of two Gupta families in South Africa from June 18 to 20 and June 20 to 22. It is said that the said weddings were worth around Rs 200 crore and the supervisor of the Municipal Council of Joshimath along with 20 other people were assigned the task of cleaning this waste. Such garbage lying in the open also poses a threat to the cows who visit the said area regularly.
The economy of Uttarakhand is mainly boosted by tourism and while in 2018, the Uttarakhand High Court had to ask the state government to take measures to tackle the problem of over-tourism in the state, recently this wedding ceremony The unfair settlement has forced the Board to take these next steps. The said tax will only help in maintaining the beauty of this state.
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Our environment is our responsibility and even though not all tourists participate in littering, many do not participate in eco-friendly practices either! Maybe this is the call we’ve all been waiting for to help improve our surroundings and spread more awareness! So, when are you planning your Uttarakhand holidays next time?