Yet again tourists have been caught ruining picturesque Ladakh by driving their SUV in areas where they are restricted.
The Leh Police posted two photos on Facebook, showing a Toyota Fortuner SUV being driven on sand dunes in Hunder in Nubra Valley, popular with adventure enthusiasts and known for its cold desert landscape.
“One tourist vehicle was found violating the SDM [sub-divisional magistrate] Nubra’s direction not to drive cars over sand dunes in Hunder. The couple from Jaipur were booked as per law and a bond of ₹ 50,000 was taken by them,” Leh Police said in the Facebook post.
“District police Leh requests tourists not to drive on sand dunes as you damage the natural landscape and violate the prohibitory orders,” the police said.
The SUV’s licence plate shows it’s a Delhi-registered vehicle.
Many praised the Leh Police for imposing a fine on the tourists who showed no regard for the natural landscape. “Good job,” a Facebook user wrote. “Hats off, Ladakh Police,” another commented.
Nubra Valley is a few hours to the north of Leh; this is where the Shyok and Siachan rivers meet. The valley separates Ladakh from the Karakoram ranges and the Siachen glacier.
In April, a video showing an Audi SUV racing through the pristine Pangong Lake, with two tourists hanging out of the sunroof and yelling, was widely criticised by people who slammed them for their careless behaviour.
The video also showed foldable chairs and a table with bottles of alcohol, water and packets of chips strewn on it. The Audi SUV had a Haryana licence plate.
