In what authorities describe as a first-of-its-kind enforcement action in the region, four tourists were fined a total of Rs 2 lakh for illegally off-roading inside some of Ladakh's most vulnerable protected wildlife zones.
Under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the car owners from Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Chandigarh each paid Rs 50,000. Their cars were immediately seized, and they weren't given back until Sunday, when the fines were settled, according to reports.
After footage of multiple events went viral online, routine patrolling and social media surveillance were used to identify the offences, which occurred over two weeks, reported the Economic Times.
The most serious case involved a Toyota Fortuner registered in Himachal Pradesh. The vehicle was caught on video allegedly chasing a Tibetan gazelle near Nurboo La, inside the Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, on June 17. Wildlife officials tracked the vehicle down the following day near a homestay in Hanle and seized it.
Three days later, on June 20, a Mahindra Thar was captured on camera damaging the Karakoram (Nubra-Shayok) Wildlife Sanctuary by driving through a stream.
A Hyundai Creta was discovered off-roading near Pangong Lake on June 21. Additionally, on June 23, a second Mahindra Thar was reportedly driven as a practical joke straight into the lake's waters near Merak. According to authorities, the act damaged the lake's ecosystem and contaminated it.
VK Saxena, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, denounced the incidents and stated that enforcement will go on. He stated that Ladakh welcomes tourists from all around India and the world, but he set clear guidelines for appropriate conduct within protected areas.
According to him, visitors, adventure seekers, and car owners should refrain from accessing wildlife habitats, upsetting endangered species, or harming ecosystems that are already severely stressed by climate change at high altitudes.
Illegal off-roading in lakes, streams and sanctuaries is a growing issue that the administration is now actively addressing, according to a government official who affirmed that the crackdown will continue.
Some of the rarest animals in India can be found in the high-altitude sanctuaries of Ladakh. The Tibetan gazelle, snow leopard, and Kiang are among the species protected by the Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary alone. At more than 4,300 meters above sea level, Pangong Lake is a part of a delicate ecology that takes years to recover from physical disturbance.
The Goa, or Tibetan gazelle, is classified as a near-threatened species. In sanctuary zones, vehicles that chase or corner wildlife can kill them, interfere with their ability to breed, and damage the habitat for other species that coexist there.
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