Eco-tourism in Sarmoli: A village in Uttarakhand lets visitors take on the roles of locals with their Homestay Programme, all the while enhancing the region’s social, environmental and economic state. We tell you more. By Yagnoseni Das
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Eco-tourism in Sarmoli: What you need to know
Around 3.2 million people have left Uttarakhand since its formation to escape the lack of basic infrastructure, proper education, healthcare systems and employment opportunities. And while many villages in the state started turning into ghost villages by housing less than 100 villagers, Sarmoli, a small village in the Munsiyari region became an eco-tourism hotspot that continues to thrive.
The change started to sprout when a woman named Malika Virdi moved from Delhi to the village in 1992. An avid mountaineer and a social activist, Virdi launched the Himalayan Ark Homestay programme in 2004 through Sarmoli Jayanti Van Panchayat. Solely run by the women of the region, the programmes’ main objective was to let visitors see the region through the eyes of a local—from being treated to meals consisting of local delicacies like madua ke roti (Indian flatbread made with local finger millet), timur ka saag (a green leafy vegetable made with medicinal Himalayan plants), and pahadi rajma (local kidney beans) to assisting their hosts in the field, village and kitchen. With this, visitors would experience the life of a Sarmoli local first-hand. Visitors would, then, join locals in their daily expeditions and try their hand at local artisan activities like knitting and weaving. The women, who’ve spent all their lives in the village, have a vast knowledge about the flora and fauna of the region, and would therefore don the role of guides to show visitors around.
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Under the programme, locals have curated a bunch of itineraries for visitors—ranging from trekking in the alpine region to taking leisurely walks amidst rows of chestnut trees. On average, a host normally has guests from across the world who usually stay for 10 to 15 days.
This joint initiative has stabilised and catapulted the financial and social blade of the region as local women have taken the lead in the financial matters of their families by running a business and earning at least INR 1.5 lakh a year. However, it has also played a significant role in the sustainable development of the region. Virdi and her team initiated conservation efforts to restore the Himalayan ecosystem by reviving high altitude lakes, forests and communities.
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The initiative became extremely popular among naturalists and soon became an example of eco-tourism done right. The Uttarakhand government even sent teams from different regions to Sarmoli to learn and replicate their success. Amit Lohani, who is the district tourism development officer in Pithoragarh, told Mongabay-India how the state government has learnt from Sarmoli’s homestay programme and implemented this knowledge to promote eco-tourism state-wide.
“We are promoting and supporting homestays in Munsiyari, Dharma valley and Choukouri. Under the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Homestay Scheme, we help locals get hassle-free loans from banks with a 33 per cent subsidy and 50 per cent interest wave-off. Besides investing in the region’s infrastructural development, we run training programmes for the locals, teaching them soft skills and eco-tourism best practices required to run homestays,” he added.
Price: a room for two on a twin-sharing basis, including all meals, starts at INR 1,800 per night (excluding taxes).
Editor’s Note: Keeping the current situation of the pandemic in mind, T+L India recommends every reader to stay safe, and take all government-regulated precautions in case travel at this time is absolutely necessary. Please follow our stories on COVID-19 for all the latest travel guidelines.
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