Margan Valley (Jammu and Kashmir): Nearly three months after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, 32 tourist destinations continue to remain closed for visitors amid an ongoing search operation by the army, J&K police and central paramilitary troopers in the mountains and forests of Kashmir valley.

Margan valley, a high-altitude mountain pass connecting the Himalayan sub-valley of Warwan in Jammu's Kishtwar district with the Anantnag district of Kashmir valley figures in the official list of destinations which remain out of bounds for visitors.

The valley, some 130 kilometres from the capital Srinagar, is easily accessible by road. However, the final stretch of journey from Daksum to Margan valley passes through a narrow road winding up a steep mountain which can overwhelm visitors with acrophobia or pulmonary issues.

Also known as the ‘valley of death’ because of its dangerous and unpredictable weather, the Margan valley has emerged as an ideal destination for camping and trekking enthusiasts in recent years due to its easy accessible road.

Perched at an elevation of around 3700 metres, the valley offers a heaven of mountain trails that attract both beginners and professionals with equal propensity. There are about a dozen alpine lakes, some of them like the Choharnag lakes as seen here, which are barely one or two kilometres away from the trailhead.

A moderately challenging trail traversing over boulder area and loose moraine leads to Khilan Nag, an oligotrophic lake which sits at an altitude of nearly 4300 metres in the heights of Margan valley.

Shilsar-1, one of the four alpine lakes of the same name which are located in the foothills of a massif in Margan valley. The first lake is barely four kilometres from the camping site in the valley while the fourth lake is seven kilometres away.

Officially closed due to security concerns in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, thousands of domestic and foreign tourists seem to be making their way into the Margan valley which is spread over thousands of acres of lush meadows above the tree line on Anantnag-Kishtwar district border in Jammu and Kashmir.

Due to heavy footfall of visitors, the virgin meadows and crystal water-streams of Margan valley, which is managed by Kokernag Development Authority (KDA), are slowly being taken over by thousands of plastic bottles, chips and instant noodles packets, tetra-pack cartons, cooking oil containers and other rubbish.

Some half dozen tribal youngsters have set up makeshift eateries in the eco-fragile valley serving tea, omelettes, cold drinks and drinking water. But with no regulatory guidelines to prevent the entry of plastic and no government oversight, these eateries end up contributing more plastic to the environment.

The tribal youngsters, who spoke with The Wire on the condition of anonymity, said that they struggle to handle the heaps of trash left behind by the visitors. With no garbage disposal mechanism in place, the plastic problem has also clogged Margan valley’s natural drainage systems that could lead to an irreversible ecological disaster.

Kokernag Development Authority is the nodal body for managing the Margan valley. The board of directors of KDA is headed by J&K chief secretary while Rouf Rehman is presently working as its chief executive officer.

Rehman told The Wire that after the administration issued an order for closure of 48 tourist destinations in April, he has not visited the Margan top. "I will go there only when the government order is revoked," he said.

All photos by Jehangir Ali.

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