In order to ensure the safety and security of tourists trekking to Annuapurna Base Camp, the local authorities in Kaski district are going to mobilize tourist police in villages falling along the trek route. There have been several reports of trekkers headed toward base camp being looted and some have even forgotten the trekking route.
In a move to ward off nasty situations and help both domestic and foreign trekkers, the District Police Office (DPO) is preparing to deploy tourist police in villages like Ghandruk, Dhampus and Birethati along the trekking route, informed Kedar Rijal, Superintendent of Police (SP).
“In the initial phase, as many as four tourist police will be on duty in the villages. Later, the number will be increase to seven,” said SP Rijal.
He said the tourist police will be on duty in the villages from mid-September. “Tourist police will be meant only for tourists,” he added. The DPO aims to arrange for tourist police on the trekking route by the next six months. “For now, the tourist police will be accommodated with local police in the villages. But we will set up separate posts for them after we recruit sufficient manpower for the purpose,” he said.
The tourist police will be mobilized only after imparting them necessary training in English skills and geographical knowledge of the trekking route. “If the tourists have any problem, they can consult the tourist police directly,” he said.
He further informed that only SLC graduates will be recruited for the tourist police and they will later be groomed to make them tourist-friendly. “We will also teach them how to present themselves to tourists.”
Tourism entrepreneurs have welcomed the DPO´s move to deploy tourist police on the trekking route. They believe that the move will help promote tourism in the district. “We had been requesting the DPO since long back to mobilize tourist police in the villages as many tourists have been mistreated on their way to the base camp. We are happy that the authorities have finally heard our plea,” said Kisham Gurung, a tourism entrepreneur in Ghandruk.
He said the plan to mobilize tourist police on the trekking route will disseminate the message that the Nepal government is concerned about the safety of tourists coming to this country.