Govt fails to provide facilities at Noori Chamb
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Poonch, January 13
Tourists continue to throng Noori Chamb here, which is famous for its scenic beauty and waterfall. Despite this, the state government has failed to develop this place, which lacks even basic facilities.

Noori Chamb, lying along the Mughal road in Surankote tehsil of this border district, is named after Mughal queen Noor Jahan. The fall of the stream gives rise to dense clouds of water vapours, which engulfs the area and spreads all over.

Emperor Jahangir was so much fascinated by this fall that he named it after the name of his beloved queen Noor Jahan. The Mughal queen used to stay here to relax while on way to Kashmir.

This place is a huge hit as a picnic spot among the local picnickers and tourists from outside the state. Visitors here say the government has not done anything to provide basic tourism infrastructure at the place. "Though the place is one of the most beautiful tourist spots I have ever seen, there is no accommodation facility for tourists and not even a cafeteria," said Payal Gupta, a student, who had come here for picnic with her friends for the first time.

“The government should develop the area so that the lack of facilities do not act as a deterrent for the tourists start with, it should construct tourist huts, toilets and a cafeteria, besides the area around the waterfall should be beautified”. Says Niharika Gill, a sixth standard student, "This place is beautiful, especially the waterfall. I will tell my friends about this place. I reckon every tourist coming to the state must see the beauty of nature here”.

“However, going by the lack of facilities here, it doesn't seem the government is interested in developing this place. They should wake up from slumber and establish tourism infrastructure here," she adds.

A senior officer in the district administration said they were first developing religious places. "We are developing religious places like Sain Mirian Shrine, Nangali Sahib Gurdwara, Amarnath Shrine in the first stage. In the second stage, we will develop places like Noori Chamb," he added.