Zojila Pass connecting Ladakh with the rest of India now open for tourists; no prior authorisation needed for visit
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With the early opening of the Zojila Pass — the vital link between the Union Territory of Ladakh and the rest of the country — the Siachen base camp is now open to tourists, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh chief executive councillor Tashi Gyalson said on Monday. He added that visitors will no longer need prior authorisation or a no-objection certificate (NOC) to access the base camp.Gyalson also announced that the Galwan Valley , one of Ladakh's key tourist attractions and currently off-limits, will be opened to visitors from June 15 via Shyok village."This will be the first time Galwan Valley will be open for tourists," the CEC said. The opening will coincide with the fifth anniversary of 2020 Galwan Valley clashes.On April 1, 2025, Border Roads Organisation reopened Zojila Pass for traffic after a 32-day closure. BRO had described this year's early reopening of the pass as an achievement, given the extreme weather conditions.CEC Gyalson said the early opening of Zojila pass offered a window to open places of tourism, including Siachen base camp, early.Recently, after the deadly attack in Pahalgam that left 26 dead, nearly 50 public parks and gardens located in vulnerable areas of Kashmir valley have been shut as a precautionary measure in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, officials said on Tuesday. Gates have been closed at 48 of the 87 public parks and gardens in Kashmir in view of the threat perception to tourists, they said.They said the security review was an ongoing process and more locations may be added to the list in the coming days.The officials said the tourist locations which have been closed are in far-flung areas of Kashmir and include some of the new destinations thrown open over the past 10 years.The spots put off limit for the tourists include Dooshpathri, Kokernag, Duksum, Sinthan Top, Acchabal, Bangus valley, Margan Top and Tosamaidan.Although the authorities have not issued a formal order to this effect, the entry to these places has been blocked.In case of several Mughal Gardens in south Kashmir, the doors to these spots have been locked.The decision to shut down the tourist locations comes a week after terrorists shot dead 26 persons -- mostly tourists -- at Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam resort.
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