New Delhi (NVI): The Valley of Flowers in Uttrakhand has been opened for tourists and people from outside the state will also be allowed to visit the place amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Valley of flowers, a UNESCO World Heritage site, usually remains open for visitors from June to October.
This year, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the tourist hotspot for the first time in its history was not accessible at its scheduled time.
On August 1, the trek was also officially opened. Visitors from within the state and outside were allowed to enter.
Joshimath SDM Anil Chanyal said, “Although tourists from outside the state will be allowed to visit the tourist hotspot, they will be required to upload their COVID-19 negative certificate 72 hours prior to their visit.”
The Valley of Flowers, situated in the lap of Gharwal Himalayas, next to Nanda Devi National Park, famous for its over 500 plant species. It usually remains open for tourists from June 1 to October 31, and remains covered in snow during other months.
Notably, around 15,000 people visited the site last year, and now with its reopening, it is expected that it will give a boost to state tourism.
Meanwhile, the forest officials have also cleared all the internal routes of the valley for patrolling, as the risk of poaching looms here.
-RJV
