12 Gurgaon bikers, UP SUV driver fined for off-roading in Ladakh’s protected areas
Authorities in Ladakh have fined 12 bikers and an SUV driver for illegal off-roading in protected wildlife areas. This action is part of a broader crackdown to protect the region's fragile high-altitude ecosystems.
Why it matters
It highlights the growing tension between tourism and environmental conservation in ecologically sensitive regions of India.
SRINAGAR: Twelve bikers from Gurgaon were fined a cumulative Rs 1.2 lakh for allegedly riding into the ecologically sensitive Tso Moriri — a pristine, high-altitude lake in the remote Changthang region — as part of Ladakh administration’s continued crackdown on off-roading in protected wildlife areas. Administration also slapped a Rs 50,000 fine on an SUV driver from Uttar Pradesh for a similar violation.The latest penal action comes days after four tourists were fined a total Rs 2 lakh for off-roading in Pangong Lake and other protected wildlife areas in the UT’s first punitive action against such illegal incursions.A government spokesperson said Tuesday wildlife officials found the group of 12 bikers, part of a Gurgaon-based tour operator, ‘Wanderon Experiences Pvt Ltd’, illegally off-roading near Tso Moriri.In a separate…
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