By: Raja Syed Rather
Ganderbal, Mar 07: Tourist footfall at Manasbal Lake in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district has witnessed a steady rise over the past three years, with authorities planning several adventure, infrastructure and conservation projects to transform the scenic lake into a major eco-tourism destination.
Chief Executive Officer of Wullar-Manasbal Development Authority (WMDA), Ahsan-ul-Haq Chisti said Manasbal holds immense potential for adventure tourism and efforts are underway to enhance visitor facilities while safeguarding the lake’s fragile ecosystem.
“Manasbal is a unique tourist destination in Kashmir with huge adventure potential. Tourist flow has been steadily increasing over the past three years,” Chisti said.
He said, over 1.6 lakh tourists visited Manasbal in 2023, while the number increased to around 2.2 lakh in 2024. In 2025, the tourist footfall reached about 2.12 lakh, reflecting growing interest among visitors.
He said a significant number of foreign tourists also visit the lake due to its natural beauty and adventure possibilities.
To further boost tourism, the WMDA is procuring water sports equipment worth Rs 3 crore, which is expected to become operational in the coming months.
“Once the equipment arrives, tourists will be able to enjoy various water-based recreational activities,” Chisti said, adding that the authority is also planning to introduce a zipline facility to enhance adventure tourism in the area.
He said the authority has also established a homestay cluster in collaboration with the Tourism Department to encourage community participation and increase the stay duration of tourists.
“In the last two to three months, several cultural programmes and events were organised which received a very positive response from both locals and visitors. We plan to organise more such events in collaboration with cultural organisations,” he said.
Besides cultural tourism, the authority is promoting eco-friendly activities such as mountaineering, cycling, nature walks and water-based recreation to enrich the overall tourist experience.
Chisti said that under the Smart City project, WMDA is constructing jogging and cycling tracks along the boundary of the lake, with around 80 percent of the work already taken up.
“The jogger and cycling tracks will not only provide recreational space for visitors but will also help protect the lake from future encroachments by clearly demarcating its boundary,” he said.
To address traffic congestion during peak tourist season, authorities have also operationalised a bypass road near Manasbal, allowing routine traffic between Ganderbal and Bandipora to avoid the tourist zone.
