SRINAGAR: Scenic locations near the Line of Control (LoC) in Baramulla district, including the waterfalls of Namblan, Shrunz, Noorkhah and Nambla, along with religious sites such as Baba Farid shrine, Dutta Temple and Chatti Patshahi Gurdwara, are being identified for development as eco-tourism and pilgrim tourism destinations. These sites, located in the border areas of Uri and Boniyar, are part of a renewed push by the Forest Department to promote sustainable tourism and generate local livelihoods in the frontier regions of Kashmir.
The initiative was highlighted on Wednesday by the Conservator of Forests (CoF), Kashmir North Forest Circle, Irfan Ali Shah (IFS), during a comprehensive review of the Forest Department’s functioning in the Jhelum Valley (JV) Forest Division. The review meeting, held at the North Forest Headquarters in Mazbugh, focused on progress made by the Department, key deliverables, and targets set for the current financial year.
Speaking at the meeting, Shah called for the development of eco-tourism infrastructure at the identified spots and directed officials to explore additional locations near the LoC that could be opened up for nature-based and pilgrim tourism. “The border belt of Baramulla has immense untapped potential,” he said, adding that tourism in these areas could provide a major economic boost to forest-dependent and tribal communities.
Shah also reviewed the functioning of the Van Dhan Kendras (VDKs) and the Forest Department’s Walnut Processing Unit in Baramulla town. He described these as successful models for women’s empowerment and rural livelihoods, particularly under the Van Dhan Yojana of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TRIFED.
He directed officers to set up new VDKs in Boniyar, Doabgah and Uri, and to group them into Van Dhan Vikas Kendra Clusters (VDVKCs) for better coordination and impact. He also urged the inclusion of medicinal plants and edible mushrooms in the value addition process to diversify income sources for tribal communities.
The meeting was attended by Satyendra Maurya, IFS, Divisional Forest Officer, JV Forest Division Baramulla; Range Officers Rameez Raja (Baramulla), Shams-u-Haq (Boniyar), Aijaz Ahmad Toota (Uri), Mohammad Maqbool Mir (Doabgah), Parveena Bano (SC Range), and senior staff from the North Forest Circle and JV Division Office.
With eco-tourism development now being prioritised along the LoC, officials said the Forest Department is working towards a sustainable model that blends environmental protection with socio-economic upliftment in northern Kashmir’s remote areas.
