Ladakh fines tourists Rs 2 lakh for illegal off-roading

The Ladakh administration imposed a total penalty of Rs 2 lakh on four tourists for illegal off-roading in protected wildlife areas. Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena urged visitors to practise responsible tourism and warned of strict action against future violations

Leh: In a first-of-its-kind enforcement drive, the Ladakh administration has cracked down on illegal off-roading in ecologically sensitive areas, imposing a Rs 2 lakh penalty on four tourists for violating the Wildlife (Protection) Act, officials said.

The action, aimed at curbing environmental damage in Pangong Lake and other protected wildlife habitats, comes as Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena urged visitors to practise responsible and environmentally conscious tourism while exploring the Union Territory.

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On June 26, the Wildlife Department of Ladakh imposed a penalty of Rs 50,000 each on four vehicles found violating the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, the officials said.

They said the offending vehicle owners belonged to Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. They were fined for driving their vehicles illegally into Pangong Lake and other protected wildlife zones in Changthang and Nubra over the last few days.

The action reaffirms the administration’s commitment to protecting Ladakh’s fragile ecosystem and endangered wildlife, the officials said.

They said that while cases of such illegal off-roading and stunts have been on the rise in Ladakh in recent times, it is the first time that such a strict penalty has been imposed on the offenders.

In these cases, all four vehicles were impounded by the officials after a thorough investigation and were released only after the penalty was paid, the officials said.

They said the action followed a series of violations detected by wildlife officials during routine patrolling and through social media surveillance, which were reported to the LG Secretariat. The violations were reported at four separate locations under the Leh Wildlife Division – Merak and Lukung along the ecologically sensitive shores of Pangong Lake, Nurboo La in Hanle, and Sumur in Nubra Valley.

LG Saxena reiterated that while Ladakh warmly welcomes visitors from across the country and the world, tourists must be responsible and environmentally conscious.

He urged tourists, adventure enthusiasts and vehicle owners not to venture into protected wildlife habitats, as such activities disturb endangered species, damage fragile ecosystems and also harm the sanctity of tourist places.

In the latest incident, the officials said that on June 23, wildlife staff detected a Mahindra Thar (Punjab registration number) being driven off-road near Merak into the waters of Pangong Lake. The driver had deliberately driven the vehicle into the water to perform stunts, causing damage to critical wildlife habitat and polluting the lake.

The driver was found prima facie guilty under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and the vehicle was later seized.

Similarly, on June 21, wildlife authorities acted swiftly after a video surfaced showing a Hyundai Creta (Uttar Pradesh registration number) engaged in off-road driving near Lukung along Pangong Lake within the Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary. The vehicle was intercepted at Zingral, Changla Pass, the same day and impounded.

Earlier, on June 20, another social media video showed a Mahindra Thar (Punjab registration number) driving through a stream inside the Karakoram (Nubra-Shayok) Wildlife Sanctuary, causing damage to the habitat and ecological integrity of the protected area. Following sustained intelligence gathering with the help of the local police, the vehicle was intercepted and impounded at Kharu the next day.

Similarly, on June 17, a viral video circulating on social media showed a Toyota Fortuner (Himachal Pradesh registration number) being driven off-road near Nurboo La inside the Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, with the driver reportedly chasing a Tibetan Gazelle.

Wildlife officials immediately launched an overnight search in coordination with the police and traced the vehicle outside a homestay in Hanle on the morning of June 18, the officials said.

Subsequently, the four offenders paid the penalty of Rs 50,000 each and got their vehicles released.

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.