Leh, Jun 28: The Ladakh Administration has launched a strict crackdown on illegal off-roading in ecologically sensitive areas, imposing a total penalty of ₹2 lakh on four tourists for violating the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Acting on the directions of Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, the Wildlife Department fined four vehicle owners ₹50,000 each for illegally driving into Pangong Lake and other protected wildlife areas in Changthang and Nubra. The offenders hailed from Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
Officials said the action marks the first time such stringent penalties have been imposed in Ladakh against tourists damaging fragile ecosystems through illegal off-roading. The vehicles were impounded during the investigation and released only after the penalties were paid.
The violations were detected through routine wildlife patrols and social media monitoring. Incidents were reported from Merak and Lukung along the shores of Pangong Lake, Nurboo La in Hanle, and Sumur in Nubra Valley.
In one incident on June 23, a Mahindra Thar was found being driven into the waters of Pangong Lake near Merak for stunt purposes, causing damage to wildlife habitat and polluting the lake. In another case, a Hyundai Creta was intercepted after a video showed it being driven off-road near Lukung within the Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary.
Authorities also acted against a Mahindra Thar seen driving through a stream inside the Karakoram (Nubra-Shayok) Wildlife Sanctuary and a Toyota Fortuner filmed chasing a Tibetan gazelle near Nurboo La in the Changthang sanctuary.
Lieutenant Governor Saxena urged tourists to act responsibly and avoid venturing into protected wildlife habitats, warning that off-road driving in or around such areas is a punishable offence under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. He said the administration will continue to take strict action against violators to safeguard Ladakh’s fragile ecosystem and endangered wildlife.
