Known for its rugged beauty, Ladakh has for long thrown a challenge at adventure seekers. Be it mountaineering, hiking or wildlife sighting, the region has drawn visitors, who have to brave its rare atmosphere to fulfil their passion. But of late, thanks to ample publicity and better facilities, there is a rush of tourists to this northernmost region of India, setting their sights on its picturesque landscape and barren but beautiful mountains. 

Tourists from India and abroad come to Ladakh with one or two destinations in mind: Some come here to drive on the highest motor road in the world, some seek out the Pangong lake, which is half in India and half in China, while others want to explore the local culture and food. This boom in tourist arrival has resulted in a massive development in the area, especially the capital Leh. High-end hotels, restaurants and modern markets have meant better facilities for the visitors and for local residents and businesses, it’s a means to make more, and quick, money. However, the other side of the picture is not so pretty. In fact, the situation is fast becoming quite alarming. 

Tourism has cost a lot to the region, which was once a peaceful haven untouched by the modern world. Today, the scenario has totally changed. As tourists footfall grew manifold, so did the hotels, so did the restaurants and so did the traffic. Now the roads in most tourist destinations, including Leh, are crammed with vehicles, honking and jostling for space. The hotels are getting bigger and more modern to accommodate more and more tourists. Many of the homestays have installed modern facilities and could even challenge a good guest houses in terms amenties. 

All in all, efforts are made to expand infrastructure to accommodate rapidly growing modern tourism, which, of course, consumes more resources than can be supported by local ecosystems. Tourist footfall Ladakh was officially opened for tourism in 1974. Since then, the region has never looked back. Statistically speaking, the number of visitors grew from a mere 20,000 in 2001 to more than 2 lakh (annually) now. This growing number in turn impacted various stakeholders such as government agencies, private sector, non-governmental organisations, local communities and other businesses dependent on tourism, all of which have come up with different plans to cash in on the opportunity. "Just a few years ago, mainly foreigners would visit Ladakh," said a cab driver. 

"Their main purpose was to drive on the highest (motorable) road or to trek on the highest peak or pass. However, the last decade witnessed a massive spurt in Indian tourist arrivals." The arrival of foreigners is still very high in Leh. Since the region is the abode of ancient monasteries and Gompas, many Buddhist followers from all over the world can be seen here. They come to chronicle the footsteps of Buddhism in India. Then there is the other breed of people, including foreigners, who are "pure tourists". They plan their visit to drive on the highest motorable road or to hone their photography.

Some are attracted by the local culture while others seek to live like a nomad, away from the Internet and mobile phones. Overexploited If one looks at the facts and figures of Ladakh tourism, it is a steep upward curve. Looking at the data of the last three years, 1.80 lakh visitors from all over the world came in 2014, in 2015 it was 1.46 lakh and in 2016 (till now) it is 2.02 lakh.

Interestingly, the annual tourist number even exceeds the local population. The entire Ladakh region has a population of just 2.70 lakh. And it is not only tourist number that is growing. The region has witnessed a massive growth. As per its official website, there are 493 registered tour operators, more than 500 different types of hotels and guest houses, around 57 registered restaurants and around 72 registered homestays in Leh region alone. 

"Currently we have 12,000 beds to accommodate all those tourists," said Mahboob Ali, assistant director of Leh tourism. "Trust me, that is a good number. If we exceed this, which anyway we are going to do, it will create a lot of problems for us." At the same time, the Union ministry of tourism also seems to determined to cash in on the boom in Ladakh, citing reason such as, tourism brings in investment and creates economic opportunities to the locals. Currently, Ladakh is identified as one of the 29 mega project sites for tourism development by the ministry (Ministry of Tourism, 2012). 

And further, 104 peaks have been given clearance for mountain trekking and tours. Just imagine what would happen to the region, which has already over-exploited its resources. Cost of tourism Experts believe if tourism is developed in the right manner, it could generate good business and better employability. It could help provide employment to the locals while ensuring conservation of nature. However, things are not going well with this fragile Himalayan region, which is already reeling under problems such as lack of proper sanitation system, sewage disposal system and clean water. 

This has led to the tourism policy for the region being questioned. Ladakh is already a victim of global warming, witnessing impacts of climate change. If reports are to be believed, glaciers are melting very fast in the entire Himalayan region. There is an assumption that after 20 years only 31 per cent of glaciers will be left. Glaciers are the major source of water for this region. Traditionally living with scarce water, Ladakhi homes have dry toilets. Another reason to use dry toilets is that water freezes during the harsh winter. However, ever since tourists started coming in bulk traditional toilets are getting converted into modern flush toilets.

"The sources of water have also depleted due to the influx of tourists. Hotels have dug submersibles and are sucking up the groundwater," informed Bhikkhu Sanghasena, the founding president of the Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre. "There is need for a mechanism to check this practice." When pointed out that tourists are often reluctant to use the traditional Ladakhi toilets, Sonam Angma, a Class IX student at Mahabodhi Residential School, said, "We have been using dry toilets for long and they are completely safe. We see no reasons why tourists should not use them. The tourists should and will have to use dry toilets. They, for their own comfort, cannot play with our lives." 

The growing number of tourists have not only changed the environmental aspects but also impacted the economic sector the region. "A lot has been changed, earlier it used to be greenery, forest and clean water everywhere, but these incessantly development on the name of accommodating tourists has ruined everything," said a tour operator. "Now, especially in Leh, in place of fields and forest one can find new hotels being built. I still remember when our grandmother used to drink spring water. But now it is not possible." 

Changing culture Arrival of a good number of tourists has also affected the local culture. Thousands of tourists from all over the world, come here to see the unique culture, customs and lifestyle, which are remarkable and an example to others. But this is also changing rapidly. Now locals, taking cue from tourists, are getting influenced by modern lifestyles. Be it homestays, local shops, cafes, or local restaurants, all are somehow getting modern day by day. 

"Many tourists, for the sake of change, try to live a Ladakhi life, just for one or two days . They eat their food, wear their clothes and enjoy their culture. But then they need their modern life back, they need their food, clothes and gadgets. Then these homestays don’t have any option but mould them as per tourists’ demand," said one of the homestay owners. Growing standards of living and modern thinking are also responsible for the migration of youth to the city. In the rural areas of Ladakh, young population or male have moved towards Leh. 

Even women, who are traditionally mainly responsible for livestock rearing and limited agriculture activities, are also heading to the city to get a good employment opportunity. "People usually come to Ladakh to feel our culture and food. But I think we are losing the essence of our culture very fast," said a tour operator. "It is getting diluted after mingling with modern tourists. Therefore, the day is not far when people will stop coming to the Leh, like Shimla." 

Government’s take The tourism department of Leh also concedes that it is high time to regulate the tourists in the region, just as Bhutan does. The assitant director of tourism believes that infrastructure, vehicles, hotels and home stays are sufficient, but more will be a burden. "You see traffic is growing like hell these days. Government hardly pays any attention to it. I request our government to stop registering more vehicles, as it will not only create traffic but also pollution in future."

Another official, who is responsible for development in Ladakh, informed that Central government needs to come up with a master plan of development. The area doesn’t have a sewage system or proper water system. "Since this is a hilly region, (development) projects are quite expensive. Whatever money we get as fund usually finishes in a single project," he added. The deputy director of tourism also informed that it is not like government is not working at all, cleaning the city. 

"We are running several campaigns to make the city clean. We informed every tour operator to apprise tourists about the cleanliness of the city. At the same time, guides are also told that while taking tourists on trek, they should take dustbins, so that tourists should not throw litter here and there," he said. "The best time to come is in winter, when, due to harsh temperature, tourist movement is limited. Then we get ample time to bring the region back to normal."