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Concrete structures around the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir are putting pressure on the fragile ecology of the area and could cause a "collapse" in the Himalayan foothills, an expert has warned. "The shrine attracted seven million pilgrims in 2006 and it is being said that the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board wants to raise the number of pilgrims to 10 million in the next two to three years," said S.P. Sahni, a well-known travel writer, journalist and environmentalist in the state. "This pace is dangerous," said Sahni, known for his knowledge of the geography and topography of all three regions of the state. "The area has a fragile ecology and the building of concrete structures at a rapid pace to attract pilgrims could cause a collapse. Let me sound a caution: we need to go slow on this, now." Sahni made these observations at a two-day seminar called "Tourism in Jammu, road ahead," organised by the Jammu and Kashmir chapter of the Indian Institute of Public Administration and the Tourism Department. The Vaishno Devi shrine attracts pilgrims from all over the country. It recorded close to seven million pilgrims in 2006, and the current daily arrivals are more than 10,000 despite this being the lean season because of freezing sub zero temperatures in the Himalayas. The shrine is located about 60 km north of Jammu at a height of 6,000 ft in the Himalayan foothills where the high number of pilgrim arrivals has already added to the demand for guest houses and hotels besides putting pressure on water sources like natural springs. "There is a need to reach out to other areas, rather than putting pressure on one place and playing with the ecology and environment."
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