Tourism hits roadblock at Keshopur wetland

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, November 5

One of Asia’s biggest wetlands, Keshopur Chambh, spread over 950 acres, is dying a slow death as a tourist spot as eco-enthusiasts have stopped coming due to the absence of proper approach roads and a dysfunctional tourist interpretation centre.

On January 29, Tourism Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu visited the wetland and announced a grant of Rs 3 crore for widening the 6.5-km stretch of road starting from Behrampur. The construction of the 18-ft wide road was to start immediately after the minister’s proclamation, but nine months down the line, not even a brick has been laid.

Sources said the project remained caught in red tape, due to which ornithologists had stopped paying a visit.

“Migratory birds have started arriving in large numbers from central Asian countries. However, there are no eco-tourists since the condition of roads culminating at the wetland are in a pitiable condition,” said Rajesh Mahajan, Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife).

Old timers recall how ornithologists used to arrive in large numbers in the 70s and 80s. “However, after that the condition of the roads became so bad that they stopped coming. The micro-economy of villages adjacent to the wetland used to be sustained by tourists. That is not the case now,” said Manjit Singh, who lives in the adjoining village of Dala.

Apart from the Behrampur road, the other thoroughfare serving the area, Pathankot-Dinanagar-Keshopur road, is too narrow. “This road, which branches off from the national highway from near the Paniyar Sugar Mill, was used by people coming from J&K and HP. The tourist inflow can improve only if both Behrampur-Keshopur and Dinanagar-Keshopur roads are re-carpeted and widened to,” he said.

The tourist interpretation centre, an initiative of the Tourism Ministry, is dysfunctional. It was to be constructed in two phases at a cost of Rs 8 crore from funds allocated by the Asian Developmental Bank. In its first phase, a multi-room complex was to be constructed at a cost of Rs 3.5 crore, while the Rs 4.5-crore centre was to be built in the second phase. Tourism Department officials, after completing the first phase, handed over the complex to the Wildlife Department. However, wildlife officials claimed that in the absence of the centre, they had been handed over a white elephant to take care of.

Caught in red tape 

• Tourism Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu had announced a grant of Rs 3 crore for widening the 6.5-km stretch of road starting from Behrampur in January
• Nine months have passed, but not even a brick has been laid 
• Sources said the project remained caught in red tape, due to which ornithologists had stopped coming