Three days after Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s announcement, the Jammu and Kashmir government reopened several tourist spots, including parks that had been closed following the horrific terror attack on April 22.

On Saturday, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha announced the reopening of 16 tourist destinations across Jammu and Kashmir, which were temporarily shut as a precautionary measure after the heinous Pahalgam terror attack targeting tourists.

The reopening of these parks has been welcomed by both tourists and local visitors, many of whom thronged the locations soon after the announcement. Security personnel were deployed in strength around these areas to ensure safety and instill a sense of security, officials said.

In the first phase, eight parks were reopened in the Kashmir Valley.

These include Betaab Valley in Pahalgam and parks near Pahalgam Market, Verinag, Kokernag, and Achabal Gardens in Anantnag district, as well as Badamwari Park, Duck Park near Nigeen, and Taqdeer Park near Hazratbal in Srinagar.

Similarly, eight destinations were the jammu region, including sarthal and dhaggar in kathua; Devipindi, Siyad Baba, and Sula Park in Reasi; Guldanda and Jai Valley in Doda; and Pancheri in Udhampur.

LG announces phaseed reopening of tourist spots in J&K

On Saturday, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha announced that 16 tourist destinations across Jammu and Kashmir would be reopened in a phased manner. These destinations had been closed after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.

Of the 16 reopened spots, eight are in the Jammu Division and eight in the Kashmir Valley.
The Lieutenant Governor also confirmed that further reopening of tourist sites will be based on security assessments.

Following the Pahalgam terror attack, the government had temporarily closed 48 of the 87 tourist destinations across the Union Territory.

That day, LG Sinha met with a delegation comprising Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), District Development Council (DDC) chairpersons and vice-chairpersons, tour and travel operators, the Ponywala Association, and hoteliers’ associations at Pahalgam. He assured them that restrictions on the remaining tourist destinations would be lifted after a thorough review by security agencies.

The Lieutenant Governor expressed hope that the upcoming Amarnath Yatra would help revive tourism in the Valley.

“I urge people to come forward and make the annual Shri Amarnath Ji pilgrimage successful. This Yatra is not just the responsibility of the administration or security forces; it is the people’s Yatra. Everyone should feel proud to contribute to it,” he said.

He added that security agencies have prepared a comprehensive security plan and urged pilgrims to travel in designated convoys.

26 unarmed civilians killed in Pahalgam terror attack

On April 22, one of the most heinous terror attacks in recent memory claimed the lives of 26 unarmed and innocent civilians, while 17 others sustained injuries.
The victims, most of them tourists, hailed from 11 different states across India and from Nepal.

The attack occurred around 2:30 PM when a group of terrorists dressed in combat uniforms opened fire on tourists in the upper reaches of Baisaran — a popular trekking and picnic spot in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

All but one of the victims were non-locals who had traveled to the Valley as part of a larger group.