Jahangeer Ganaie
Pahalgam, Jun 22: The picturesque tourist spot of Aru valley in the famous tourist destination Pahalgam craves for proper mobile network connectivity.
Located around 12 km from Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district; Aru is known for its scenic meadows, lakes and mountains, and is a base camp for trekking to the Kolahoi Glacier and Tarsar Lake.
However, tourists and locals complain of the lack of a proper mobile network in the area. They said that the lack of mobile connectivity is limiting Aru’s potential to become a famous tourist hub in the valley.
“Though we enjoyed the scenic beauty of Aru, the lack of mobile connectivity disappointed us,” said Mahesh, a tourist from Uttar Pradesh, adding that he wanted to make a video call to his relatives and friends.
Locals said that only BSNL is working here with very slow internet while the rest of the cellular companies haven’t installed their towers here. The government must think about it as it is not far away from Pahalgam, they said.
Local visitors and vendors echoed similar concerns, saying they face difficulties without a mobile network. “All the tourists who come here have always complained about the lack of mobile network. Rest, everything is fine here,” said Sameer, who owns a restaurant at Aru. “That is why no tourist stays here for long.,”
“This is affecting our business. The government must seriously look into it to attract more tourists here,” Sameer added.
Locals along with tourists have sought the attention of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and other authorities to this issue so that the area can have more flow of tourists.
The lack of connectivity not only deters tourists but also impacts local businesses that rely on tourism, they added.
An official from the government said that efforts are underway to improve mobile connectivity in Aru.
“We are hopeful that Aru will have a 4G network facility very soon,” he said.
