Naveen Joshi
Kutch has begun to throb with tourists, on one hand the guests of Ranotsav have started disembarking, on the other hand, migratory birds are arriving in dams, ponds, pits, deserts which are filled due to heavy rains. The days are still hot, but the morning and evening are pink and cold, and the desert has started to cool down. After the introduction of this industry, Kutch has benefited from tourism and that's why everyone, whether it is a village or a city, expects income from tourism, so there is a pulse of preparation everywhere, while a huge loss is coming to the fore that responsible tourism from Kutch is still far away. Kutchis themselves open their hearts in hospitality but most of the visiting tourists lack responsibility and the obvious reason behind this is the neglect policy of the tourism system itself. If the tourism department is fully equipped in the social, economic, geographical, historical, scientific fields by studying every nook and cranny of Kutch and provides information in these various fields to the tourists, then the visitors will get satisfaction and the host will also benefit. If this work is done on such a large scale, it can be considered a matter of time and interest to work in the direction of increasing the scope of responsible tourism. If we give weight to the attention-grabbing issues, first of all, the Rann of Kutch has been declared a 'No Plastic Zone' through a proclamation. Being a border district, Way of Heaven has been declared a 'no drone zone', but from Dhordo-Dholavira to Mandvi to Mandvi Beach, Matana Madh, Lakhpat-Koteshwar, Mundra, Pingleshwar, Bhuj Museum, Smritivan, plastic will be seen wherever you go. Every day new people fly drones from way of heaven to get likes in social media but they harm birds. No cases are registered even though the internal affairs of the border area are handled by priests. This is irresponsible tourism. Is this the place for prewedding shooting? What are the beaches for partying Dholavira's Fossils Park is a quiet-natured place that enhances the joy of distance and awakens spirituality, where fragments of 250 million year old fossils are stolen, defecated, sacred places like Tulsi Kyara, where the goddess of nature sits regularly, are littered with dirt. Bathing. This is irresponsible tourism. Roads will be built but why stop theft? Watchman, CCTV required. At least during the tourist season, it has to be seen that this treasure of nature does not remain in ruins, otherwise what will the future generation come to see here? When the tourist enters Kutch, the tourism system allocated crores for way side amenities near Adesar and through Mirjapar in district headquarters Bhuj, but the complex was not built in Adesar and after spending two and a half crores near Mirjapar, the entire complex has been closed for two-three years and is in a state of decay. If tourists are made aware of Kutch here, then unknown guests will not wander anywhere, will not take unexpected decisions, will not have to bathe in Mandvi-Pingleswar beach, will save lives, but who will do that? No elected person has uttered a single word about this closed facility… Yes the hospital service of those associated with the ruling party is expanding because the benefits of Ayushman card are increasing. What is there to get here? A serious matter, representatives of corporate houses, businessmen, tourists who spend 20-25 thousand per tent per day in Dhordo-Dholavira tent city, buy embroidered handkerchiefs, dupattas, dresses, dhadkis from a handicraftsman in the village. Don't be a robber! Alas, some tourists are not aware of the business of Tarwa and utter curse words like 'earthquakes here', saying that the prices are high. This is also a kind of irresponsible tourism, understand the situation, understand the art, if you don't want to buy, don't buy but such a language! Dhinodhar-Siot's Buddhist caves, Koteshwar's caves, Guneri's Sanatan cave, Kadiadhro, Habai's tank, Zara's hill associated with Zara's war, Jakhou's mysterious more than 40 thousand tombs or mausoleums or crematories, villages lost in the abyss of time, Bhatia's District headquarters like Haveli, Koranagar have not yet entered the tourism books. History, geography, geology, seismology, stone age, jurassic age, so much is buried in the underground of Kutch. If all this is revealed responsibly, then only India will come here to study, make a career, the Harappan colony of Dholavira will have to be protected, otherwise, like the Fossil Park, the traces of well-ropes, coal sites of Chula will be excavated here.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
