Challenges of “Ecotourism” in Kedarnath: Some Insights from the Ground

Abstract

This study attempts to identify the environmental and cultural challenges thrown up by the growth and development of tourism in Kedarnath Region, located in the southern part of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. Using primary data collected through questionnaires and interviews, the paper examines the issue through the eyes of local service providers and administrators. Overall, it finds that there is a widely shared dissatisfaction with the state of affairs, with a general sense that the huge inflow of tourists in recent years has strained Kedarnath to breaking point. Growing mounds of plastic waste, streets overflowing with horse-mule excreta and the influx of tourists that lack sensitivity towards the local culture are just some of the issues that made the respondents feel that all was not well with the way tourism was being managed in the area. The accounts shared in the paper would serve to highlight the need for serious engagement by policy-makers and regulators to take eco-tourism from just being a nice-sounding concept to a tangible reality on the ground.