The proposals come amid growing concerns over the strain on roads, sanitation facilities, water resources and waste-management systems in popular destinations such as Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Doodhpathri
Rising tourist footfall has increasingly exposed the gap between the expansion of tourism infrastructure and the capacity of mountain settlements to absorb visitors | Photo Credit: ANI
As tourist numbers continue to put pressure on Kashmir’s fragile mountain ecosystems, Jammu and Kashmir’s proposed sustainable mountain policy seeks to shift the focus from attracting more visitors to managing tourism within the limits of what its destinations can sustain.
The draft Jammu and Kashmir Sustainable Mountain Development Policy 2026 proposes daily visitor limits at 15 high-pressure destinations, restrictions on private vehicles, construction controls in ecologically sensitive areas and a green cess to finance conservation.
Rising tourist footfall has increasingly exposed the gap between the expansion of tourism infrastructure and the capacity of mountain settlements to absorb visitors. Waste disposal, untreated wastewater and unregulated commercial construction have emerged as particular challenges in environmentally sensitive areas.
Environmentalists have welcomed the proposed policy but cautioned that its success would depend on how effectively existing laws and new measures are implemented.
“The proposed Jammu & Kashmir Sustainable Mountain Development Policy 2026 is a welcome initiative, but its real test will be implementation rather than the creation of another policy framework,” prominent environmentalist Mutaharra A W Deva said.
Under the draft policy, scientific carrying-capacity assessments would determine how many visitors destinations can accommodate. Interim limits could be introduced before these studies are completed, while an online registration and time-slot booking system would regulate tourist movement.
The proposed restrictions on private vehicles could also reduce congestion and emissions. Vehicles would be stopped at designated green gateways, with visitors required to use electric or CNG transport, ponies, cycles or walk for the remaining journey.
However, Deva said Jammu and Kashmir already had several laws and policies covering environmental protection, tourism, forests, waste management, building regulations and disaster management. Existing Eco-Sensitive Zone notifications also provide for carrying-capacity studies and regulated tourism, she said.
“The fundamental problem has been fragmented institutional responsibility, weak enforcement and inadequate implementation of these existing provisions,” Deva said.
She said the new policy should begin with an assessment of what had already been legislated, what had been implemented and where the gaps remained.
Its contribution, she said, should be to integrate existing laws through mountain-specific land-use planning, scientific carrying-capacity assessments, climate-resilient infrastructure, accountable institutions and measurable environmental outcomes.
The draft proposes generating around ₹750 crore annually through a green cess, with the revenue earmarked for destination-level environmental management. Forty per cent would go towards waste collection, toilets and sanitation, while another 20 per cent would fund ecological restoration.
It also sets a three-year target for notified destinations to become free of visible garbage and untreated sewage.
For destinations already facing environmental stress, the challenge is not simply preventing further damage but restoring degraded landscapes and strengthening basic infrastructure. The proposed Mountain Green Fund could help finance such work, provided its revenue is transparently managed and directed towards clearly defined conservation priorities.
Deva said mechanisms such as a Mountain Green Fund and visitor-management systems could add value, but cautioned against creating another authority without clearly defining its relationship with existing institutions.
“Creating another authority without clearly defining its relationship with existing institutions could further complicate governance,” she said.
The proposed Mountain Development Authority is intended to provide an institutional framework for coordinating mountain management. Its effectiveness, however, would depend on clearly defined responsibilities, coordination with existing agencies and accountability for environmental outcomes.
The policy remains a draft requiring government approval and legal backing. Its eventual impact will depend on whether visitor limits, construction controls and conservation funding are translated into enforceable measures on the ground.
“J&K does not merely need another policy. It needs a transition from policy formulation to effective mountain governance, with ecological protection, development and local livelihoods treated as interconnected priorities,” Deva said.
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