Bagalakote: It has been witnessed many a times that development near tourist spots becomes a curse to the nature. It’s true that tourist spots need advanced infrastructure but it doesn’t mean that development end up spoiling the nature’s beauty.
A social media user from a temple town stated, “striving to develop the tourist spots 100 per cent without a care for nature will promote deterioration of nature. For instance, in many temples of the State the roadside shops set up over a kilometre from the entrance of the temple though benefits a lot of vendors on one hand is definitely a source of pollution and unhygienic conditions on the other hand as it has been witnessed in many tourist spots. Therefore, a planned development should be the need of the hour.”
He also feels that the Government should ban the vehicles at least 3 to 4 kilometres before the tourist spots and walk atleast a minimum distance.
Speaking to NewsKarnataka Dr. Harshavardhan Sheelavant said “As the tourists include small children and also elderly, the curb on parking vehicles close to the tourist spots will only pose difficulties for them. Certainly this age group will find it difficult to walk 3 to 4 kilometres. So the District Administration instead should take the responsibility of maintaining the tourist site, he suggested.
Further, he noted, “Archaeological Survey of India and State Archaeology Department must look into the site if it is heritage or not and then undertake the maintenance of the site or else should instruct the local administration to maintain such tourist spot. The Tourism Department should collect fees for a visit to the site by issuing tickets. This automatically turns the visitors more responsible. Also, the local administration must form a committee that should oversee the maintenance. It is not fair to vacate shopkeepers near temples because many poor families fill their plates only through this means. In this regard, the temples must provide compartments for such vendors as it is also a matter of minor economy.”
