Leh (Ladakh) [India], June 28 (ANI): The Ladakh Administration has imposed a total penalty of Rs 2 lakh on four tourists for illegal off-roading in Pangong Lake and other protected wildlife areas, marking the first time such stringent action has been taken against offenders in the Union Territory, according to an official release.
The action was taken on the directions of Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena to curb the growing menace of tourists driving vehicles through ecologically sensitive lakes, streams and protected wildlife habitats, the release issued by the Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat said.
According to the release, the Wildlife Department on June 26 imposed a penalty of Rs 50,000 each on four vehicle owners from Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh for violating provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. The offenders were found driving their vehicles into Pangong Lake and other protected wildlife zones in Changthang and Nubra over the past few days.
The release said the four vehicles were impounded following investigations and were released only after the penalties were paid, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to protecting Ladakh’s fragile ecosystem and endangered wildlife.
According to the release, the violations came to light during routine patrolling by wildlife officials as well as through social media surveillance. The incidents were reported at Merak and Lukung along Pangong Lake, Nurboo La in Hanle and Sumur in Nubra Valley under the Leh Wildlife Division.
Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena urged tourists, adventure enthusiasts and vehicle owners to behave responsibly while visiting Ladakh and avoid entering protected wildlife habitats. According to the release, he said such activities disturb endangered species, damage fragile ecosystems and affect the sanctity of tourist destinations.
The release said one of the incidents involved a Punjab-registered vehicle that was allegedly driven into the waters of Pangong Lake near Merak on June 23 for stunt purposes. In another case, a Uttar Pradesh-registered car was intercepted after a video surfaced showing it being driven off-road near Lukung within the Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary.
Two other cases involved a Punjab-registered jeep allegedly driven through a stream inside the Karakoram (Nubra-Shayok) Wildlife Sanctuary and a Himachal Pradesh-registered car that was traced after a viral video allegedly showed it chasing a Tibetan gazelle near Nurboo La inside the Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, the release added.
The Lieutenant Governor emphasised that off-road driving within or in the vicinity of protected areas is a punishable offence under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and warned that stringent action would continue against all such violators. (ANI)
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