A good news is coming for the tourists who want to see Bugyaals of Uttarakhand and want to stay there for the night. The night stay ban imposed on Bugyaals for the last eight years has now been lifted after important instructions of the Supreme Court. The DFO, in its letter dated July 27, ordered the Regional Forest Officer to follow the instructions of the court.
In 2018, the Uttarakhand High Court, Nainital, had banned tourists from staying, pitching tents and spending the night in the Bugyals on the writ of Ali Vedani Bugyal Conservation Committee. This ban was imposed in view of environmental protection and decreasing greenery in Bugyala.
From Base Camp Lohajung, the youth had built home stays and hotel lodges for the tourists to stay in many villages like Van, Didna, Lohajung, Vank, Kuling, Mundoli etc. But due to the ban on night stay in Bugyal, many home stays have been closed. At the same time, the Supreme Court has issued instructions dated 20th July 2026 to cancel the order of the High Court and remove the ban on night stay in Bugyals. Due to which a wave of happiness is being seen among the youth. At the same time, there is hope among the local people that business will pick up again.
Block chief Tejpal Rawat, District Panchayat member Urmila Bisht, Balveer Ram, Roopkund Tourism Development Struggle Committee Chairman Inder Singh Rana, Eco Committee Van Chairman Trilok Bisht expressed happiness over the lifting of the ban on night stay. He said that with the lifting of the ban on night stay in Bugyala, hundreds of youth, guides, porters and tour operators associated with the tourism business will get employment. With the start of night stays, trekking activities will gain momentum and the business of hotels, lodges and home stays will start again. Shopkeepers and taxi operators will also get employment.