New Delhi: A gym at Kaza, the sub-divisional headquarters of Spiti Valley, was inaugurated by the Himachal Pradesh government to promote health consciousness among the youth of the remote region.
Located at an altitude of 12,000 ft, the gym is billed as the highest of its kind in the world. With equipment worth ₹10 lakh, the facility has been set up at the sports complex at Kaza.
“The gym is the highest in the world. We are in the process of getting it verified by the Guinness Book of World Records,” Himachal tribal development minister Ram Lal Markanda said.
The minister also encouraged women to make use of the gym facilities.
He asserted that the gym would give youngsters an opportunity to invest time and energy in physical activities, rather than being glued to their mobile screens or falling prey to substance abuse for recreation purposes.
“It will help visitors also get acclimatised to the high-altitude region,” the tribal minister added.
Another issue that the government hopes to address is checking the migration of locals in winter when the region turns into a cold desert with temperatures plunging below the freezing point. With newer, better and more modern facilities such as the newly opened gym, the Himachal government hopes to bring down winter migration in the tribal district.
In winter, residents of Lahaul and Spiti Valley remained cut off from the rest of the world for about six months due to heavy snowfall at the Rohtang Pass and the tough terrain of the region. That changed significantly with the construction of the strategic Atal Tunnel that was built across the Rohtang Pass to ensure that the tribals are not forced to migrate to lower lying places such as Kullu or Manali.
According to reports and surveys, the opening of the Atal Tunnel has substantially brought down migration. An engineering marvel connecting Manali with Lahaul, the 9.02 km long Atal Tunnel is the world’s longest highway tunnel that is located above 10,000 feet.
Ever since the tunnel’s inauguration in October 2020, things have improved in the region. The government has even organised a winter carnival at Spiti in 2021, giving a huge boost to the winter sports among the tribal youth.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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