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About
Uttaranchal Tours
 13 Districts Comprise Uttaranchal:
Pithoragarh, Almora, Nainital, Bageshwar, Champawat, Uttar
Kashi, Udham Singh Nagar, Chamoli, Dehra Dun, Pauri Garhwal,
Tehri Garhwal, Rudraprayag and Haridwar (Urban).The region is
the melting pot of many ethnic groups and castes. The
Jaunsaries, the Bhotias, the Bokshas, the Tharus and the Rajis
live side by side in the most cordial manner. Most of the
indigenous people are heterodox Hindus and Buddhists, while
Sikh migrants from West Punjab have settled in the lowlands
since 1947. A few Muslim groups are also native to the
area.
The economic viability of the new state is
worrying if anything in the present circumstances. Though it
is endowed with rich natural resources, it is unable to tap
them to its advantages. The result is that about 70% of its
population lives under the poverty line as against the
national average of 46%. Subsistence agriculture supports
about 75% of the population while 71% of the land holdings are
less than 1 hectare in size. To put this pathetic state of
affairs in perspective, a survey was conducted recently which
found that about 80% of the soldiers active at the Kargil
front joined the armed forces to escape from the poverty at
their home state.
Dividends can be reaped if the various rivers and streams
of the state are utilized to produce hydro electricity. A
source reveals that the state has the potential of generating
about 40,000 MW of hydropower and that is enough to solve the
massive power shortage of India to a substantial degree. The
state also holds out promises of becoming an attractive
tourist spot. Already the region is raking in about 250 crores
in annual earnings. However this sector is not fully
exploited. The state definitely needs to invest in creating
ski resorts and modern shooing malls to cater to the needs of
the enthusiasts of adventure tourism and upscale tourists.
Another area where the state has to get its act together is
the agro industries.
Commercial production of fruits,
medicinal plants and flowers on the lines of Himachal Pradesh
will go a long way in boosting its revenue. Opportunities for
tourism are immense in this state, be it nature, wildlife,
adventure, and pilgrimage tourism. The major destinations are
Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Mussoorie, Almora, Kedarnath,
Badrinath, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Jim Corbett National Park,
Nainital, Ranikhet, and Pithoragarh. If you are adventurous
and like tough challenges, you can go for high- and
low-altitude trekking, river rafting, para gliding,
hang-gliding, mountaineering, skiing, and many others.
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