Hotels in Mussoorie have to now register guests on a Govt portal

Hotels, guesthouses, and homestays in Mussoorie are now required to register their guests on a government portal operated by the Uttarakhand Department of Tourism due to environmental concerns.

Purpose of Guest Registration
- Protecting Fragile Ecology: Mussoorie’s ecosystem has a limited carrying capacity — the maximum number of people it can support without environmental degradation.
- Managing Tourism Pressure: Tourist numbers have surged from 1.5 lakh in 1958 to over 30 lakh in 2019, straining infrastructure like water supply, parking, and waste management.

Backed by NGT Recommendations
- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) recommended 19 measures in a 2023 report to safeguard Mussoorie’s environment.
- Guest registration is one of these measures, aimed at:
- Monitoring tourist inflow in real time.
- Ensuring accommodation and parking limits are respected.
- Possibly charging tourists to fund cleanliness and waste management.

Environmental Risks Highlighted
- Mussoorie lies in Seismic Zone IV, prone to landslides due to unstable slopes and weak limestone.
- Over-construction and traffic congestion have worsened risks.
- The NGT flagged dangers from proposed infrastructure like tunnels and ropeways, citing parallels with the Joshimath land subsidence incident.