At Bhyundar, Chamoli Uttarakhand, Our responsibilities are:

• To keep the trek trail clean and region free from polythene / plastics
• To provide employment opportunity to rural unemployed
• To conserve the environment of this valley region
• To provide facility of prepaid booking of mule/donkey
• To provide the yatrees /tourists all information and help EDC collects the Eco-development fee from Mules and Commercial Establishments, utilizing funds from its revenue on training/capacity building of the local community members and local service providers with the assistance of Department of Forests.

In close proximity to the Valley of Flowers in the Sikh shrine of Hemkund Sahib. Every year, almost 4 to 5 lakh pilgrims visit Hemkund and the Valley. Tourism plays a very important role in the local economy as about 95% of the population of the surrounding villages depends on it.” But owing to unregulated tourism, large mounds of garbage, mainly plastic and mule dung had accumulated all along the trail. To combat the problem, the local community was organized into Eco Development Committees(EDCs) at Bhyundhar and Govindghat. The EDCs with the support and guidance of the Forest Department took over the responsibility of managing the various tourism related activities in the area and are also redressing the environmental issues of the region. Consequently, the 19 kms trek route to the Valley of Flowers bears a new clean look. This was unimaginable till even a few years back. in the last two years alone, over 90 tonnes of garbage has been removed from this area by the EDCs without spending a single rupee from government founds.

The EDCs are also providing employment opportunities to local youths as guides and photographers. Girls are also employed in the Interpretation Centres at Ghangharia and Bhyundar en route to the Valley of Flowers. The girls are engaged in slide shows for the tourists and for sale of photographs and souvenirs.

The Van Panchayat responsibilities mainly include Protection and Conservation of Forests under its Area as per Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

The activities are:

• Patrolling of Forests/Land under its area and control over illegal tree felling pruning of tree branches, and fodder grazing
• Permit the individuals/tour operators to pitch tents on the Van Panchayat land at Kanjila for a nominal fee or lease for short-term for tent resorts every season. Zilla Panchayat (ZP) has performed the following functions in the Valley of FlowersHemkund region:
• Maintains the ZP parking at Govindghat, fix the parking rates (large vehicle, small vehicle, two-wheelers) and collect the parking charges on contract
• Provides toilet facilities at Govindghat
• Provides land for mule sheds at Ghangharia and Govindghat.
• Fixation of rates for transportation services (mules/porters/palki) on the trek path The Valley of Flowers-Hemkund region is a part of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR), and especially the Valleys of Flowers National Park being one of the two core zones (core zone-II) of the NDBR. The region is under active control of the Office of the District Forest Officer, Department of Forests, Joshimath. A Forest Range Officer is deployed in the region with facilities at Govindghat and Ghangharia.

The management of the Valley of Flowers National Park has been based on the following objectives and considerations:

• Keeping control on the extent and wide spread growth of the fast growing and pioneering flowering herb – the Polygonum polystachyum.
• Development and upkeep of the trek route within the tourism zone of the park.
• Maintenance of the park and keeping it free from any kind of polluting material.
• Providing impetus to the tourism and providing local employment (through EDC, etc.).
• Strict control on illicit removal of herbs and on poaching