Administrative Secretary, Tourism Department, UT Ladakh, Kacho Mehboob Ali Khan chaired a meeting on managing visitor/tourist flow at Khardung la and creation of adequate parking space on May 16 at the Civil Secretariat, Leh. 

The meeting also discussed the removal of old & non-functional amenities such as, a souvenir shop, public toilets, ATM, and cafeteria aiming to transform Khardungla into a safe tourist spot.
Officers from various departments viz. District Deputy Commissioner, Tourism, Public Works, Vijayak (BRO), and Leh Development Authority (LDA) attended the meeting. The officers discussed various issues in detail considering the need for sustainable & safe tourist management while preserving the ecological balance and cultural heritage of the region.

The Secretary emphasized the significance of striking a balance between tourism promotions and safeguarding the ecosystem surrounding Khardungla. He highlighted the need to streamline the flow of visitors/tourists to ensure their safety and convenience as well as to mitigate the environmental impact of the unregulated movement of vehicles/bikes on the pristine landscape. 
He stressed making the Khardongla Pass a stop-over spot for visitors/tourists considering its altitude and the safety and health of the visitors/tourists. He emphasized that all the redundant/obsolete structures, which are an eye-sore and impediment, are required to be removed for the creation of space & parking lots for four-wheelers & two-wheelers separately. It was emphasized that visitors/tourists visiting Khardungla can avail of public amenities and other facilities at North and South pullu.

In the meeting, it was decided to remove all redundant/obsolete structures. DC/CEO, LAHDC, Leh; Viyayak, BRO; 14 Corps Hqr.; and AD(Tourism), Leh were asked to take immediate action and report compliance by 25th May 2023.

Vijayak, BRO was given directions to start widening work to create enough space for parking at the pass and demarcating parking space through the laying of interlocking blocks, etc. Further, BRO was asked to submit a master plan by 25th May 2023.

It was decided that the LDA will complete the ongoing work on the viewpoints at the earliest. Also, R&B Division, Leh & LDA were asked to complete the work on the wayside amenities at South Pullu and North Pullu immediately and handover the same to AD Tourism, Leh.

AD Tourism, Leh was asked to start working on outsourcing these two amenities soon after taking over them from R&B Division, Leh, and LDA.