Four Himachal villages to rein in buildout plans near UNESCO site. Four gram panchayats that fall in the biodiversity-rich Tirthan Valley. They will approve building maps to regulate haphazard constructions. The regulation will be enforced from April 1, officials told IANS on Friday. The area is located in the ecozone of the Great Himalayan National Park, adjacent to the UNESCO site Great Himalayas National Park in Kullu district, India. The region is famous for the brown and rainbow trout, and these prized catches can be found in abundance in the Tirtha River and its tributary, the Sainj. The people of the valley also suspect the TCP Department of weakening the powers of the Panchayat Samiti. The government in 2004 imposed a ban on allotting hydro-power projects in the area in the hope that it would promote exotic trout fish in the natural waters of Tirthans River. The incidents of illegal diversion of water resources, dumping of solid waste on the river banks and the ongoing construction work in the river bed by tourism units are also worrying.
