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W.ITH Tourism in Kashmir is one of the hardest hit sectors. The resurgence of the pandemic, which has already been ravaged by more than two years of constant disruption, has made the prospect of a revival in the sector even grimmer.
One of the factors that have increased Covid-19 cases in the valley is tourism itself. In the absence of permission to travel internationally, large numbers of local tourists came to Kashmir. The administration also overlooked the standard work instructions for arriving holidaymakers, which in some cases led to the second wave spreading in the valley. And this in turn killed another season of tourism.
This has prompted the administration to announce a 3 rupee crore relief package for people employed in the industry. According to the package, registered shikara owners, guides, ponywalas and others, including those who rent litters for yatris, will receive financial assistance of Rs 2,000. The money will be paid out for the next two months to help overcome the peak of the ongoing wave .
But how obvious this money is peanuts and will hardly compensate for the massive loss caused by the loss of tourists. And that also in spring and most likely in the coming summer season. Due to its ferocity, the second wave should last until early autumn. And by then, the restrictions associated with Covid-19 would not only have affected tourism, but also knocked down the other companies and again made thousands of people unemployed.
Therefore, the government needs to think longer and prepare in advance for the next three months. One question would be whether continuing the lockdown would be in the interests of the already ailing economy. And would it not be worse to deny people the chance to earn a living than the disease? At the end of the pyramid live a large proportion of the people who have been largely unemployed in the past two years. Your savings have already been used up. Take the vans, for example: the drivers and conductors now have very little to survive. This also includes those associated with tourism.
While planning in advance, the government must take this reality into account. If the lockdown cannot be carried out without it, the administration must work out an adequate economic package that provides at least a modest supply for the people who are living without a livelihood.
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