The locals in Pulwama support the move by the Jammu & Kashmir government to develop Nagaberi as a tourist destination. Ghulam Hassan Gorsi, a local here speaks about the beauty prevailing in the territory and Nagaberi abounds in it.
Nagaberi situated 15 to 20km away from south Kashmir’s Satura Tal has all the attributes of a tourist spot. It has meadows, high mountains, deep valley, and dense tall trees. The beauty of the place gets accentuated with horses and flocks of sheep grazing leisurely over the mountains. Below the meadows lies a stream Marsar Nallah, the sounds of gushing water fill up the air. Travellers can catch fish here. A frozen water pond lies 3-4km from Nagaberi. Another water body Tarsar is in the midst of snow-capped mountains and green meadows. Its water flows down into the Lidder River.
Nagaberi till now was accessible only by foot frequented by young boys of Kashmir during summers. The Nagaberi trek in Aripal Tehsil of Pulwama district can charm travellers with the trekking experience it offers. It is located around 75 kms from Srinagar, and this region is part of Upper Dachigam and the trek begins from Hajin area of Satoora. It is believed that Maharaja Hari Singh would visit Nagaberi to enjoy the beauty of the place. After his death, nobody could recognise the potential of Nagaberi to attract local, national and foreign tourists.
Altaf Hassan Mir says, the unemployed here want a job. When they heard the news that Nagaberi has found a place on the tourist map, they are quite happy. With Nagaberi developing as a tourist destination, the local youth would also benefit.
A senior local of Pulwama, Prati Pal Singh is happy that each man’s business will grow, development will happen in the region and the poor can do something to earn their living from tourism.
Residents are happy that roads will be built, buildings will come up and this development will help the locals. They will not need to go to faraway places to take up labour jobs. The tourists will bring employment for the unemployed youth in Pulwama.
The Department of Forests, Ecology and Environment and the administration will not find it difficult to develop Nagaberi as it already has the pure air, water, jungles and cold breeze of a hill station, locals said. And the people are grateful to the J&K administration for giving a backward area a status on the J&K tourist map.