Trekkers, tourists and adventure enthusiasts intending to visit Sandakphu, the highest point in Bengal, located in the Darjeeling hills should be cautious about keeping the route clean.
Local tourist guides and authorities of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) have taken the initiative to make the entire stretch of the mountain trail a “zero waste zone”.
Representatives of the Srikhola Daragaon GP Nature Guides Association, under the guidance of the tourism department of the GTA, have conducted a three-day cleanliness drive on the trekking route to Sandakphu from September 12 to 14.
“The entire stretch, situated at an elevation from 7,000 feet to 12,000 feet above sea level, has been cleaned. We have removed over one quintal of waste, including plastic, and that will be disposed of at Sepi,” said Amit Rai, the president of the association.
During the drive, they covered a distance of around 65km, starting from Sepi and then moving through Srikhola, Daragaon, Samandan, Gorkhay, Rammam, Phalut and Thakum.
Altogether, 45 members of the association took part in the drive during which they put out banners that carry a message that visitors and trekkers should not litter and dispose of waste, including plastic, while visiting the area to prevent pollution.
“Trekkers should abstain from using plastic products during trekking. It will help us develop a waste-free and plastic-free zone here,” Rai said.
The route, which passes through the Singalila National Park, is considered a trekker’s paradise and a hotspot for nature lovers, courtesy the rich presence of flora and fauna, and the breathtaking landscape.
The mountain ridges along the national park are famed for red panda, leopard, Himalayan black bear and several avian species. Every year, other than the monsoonal months, Sandakphu draws hundreds of trekkers and adventure lovers.
On June 5 this year, observed as World Environment Day, the tourism department of the GTA had conducted a campaign during which the stakeholders of the tourism industry were asked to take initiatives to make the entire trekking route waste-free.
Dawa Gyalpo Sherpa, the field director of the GTA’s tourism department, said the June 5 campaign involved local stakeholders, which helped the process.
“Considering the rich biodiversity and presence of many exotic species of flora and fauna of the entire Singalila range, we have decided to make the area waste-free by involving local stakeholders,” Sherpa said.
“It is good that they have taken the initiative. It is a continuous process, and efforts would be taken consistently to reduce pollution in the area,” he added.