Asia's biggest natural ice-skating rink in Shimla cries for attention amid 'utter neglect'

Shimla: Surrounded by construction material and shanties, Asia's biggest natural ice-skating rink, a major tourist attraction of 'queen of hills' Shimla, is crying for attention.

The ice-skating rink, which featured in numerous Bollywood movies in the past, narrates a 'tale of neglect and unsustainable development' as construction activities in its vicinity and global warming has taken its toll on the skating sessions, which have come down from 100-120 sessions every winter to 30-50 sessions, say old skaters.

It has been a part of numerous Bollywood movies and was visited by several top dignitaries, but now it presents a picture of 'unsustainable development and utter neglect', they add.

"It is very unfortunate that the government is adamant on finishing the natural skating rink, rather than restoring it or making an all season indoor rink for the residents as well as tourists," says Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholders Association president M K Seth.

This year, Shimla witnessed about 60 per cent tourist footfall, lowest in the last four decades on the New Year, which was on weekend, despite prediction of snow by the weather department. It is high time that the government finds a way to promote tourism, and restoring the ice-skating rink is one of the initiatives that should be taken on priority, he told PTI on Saturday.

A lift is being built outside the skating rink and construction material has been dumped at the site on the land of the sports department, said an old skater, Gurjot. The size of the rink has been reduced drastically due to the construction, he added.

Even more annoying is the fact that the land of the sports department is being used to dump muck, debris and construction material, said another skater Parth, and added that the proposed construction of a bus stand and a lift would undermine the ecology and micro-environment of the area and jeopardise the rink's future.

The parking area of the rink has been converted into shanties which house dhabas, rickety eateries, stores. Skaters, including women ferrying young kids, have a hard time parking, disembarking and other allied logistics, says another teenage skater Prachi Sood.

"We have given the no objection certificate (NOC) for construction but all the formalities to be done under the bidding regulation code has to be done by the executing agency," Sports Director Sandeep told PTI.

Climate change has also taken its toll on ice skating at Shimla. The lowest number of six skating sessions was witnessed in 2017 while the maximum of 118 sessions were held in 1997-98.

Absence of sports and other activities is one of the reasons why the youth is getting inclined towards drugs as there are not much options to keep them busy, members of the Shimla Ice Skating Club said, and informed that the detailed project report (DPR) of Rs 40-crore project for all-weather ice-skating rink has been prepared.

The club members are worried that the shrinking season would take a toll over the winter attraction of the 'queen of hills' - ice skating - as the skating sessions, which used to start at the end of November, have already shifted to mid December.

Due to climate change, global warming, reckless felling of trees and haphazard construction in the vicinity of the rink and demolition of the Rivoli Theatre above the rink, which used to block direct sunlight, coupled with pollution caused by the bus stand adjunct to the rink, the temperatures have increased and the ice-skating session is shrinking.

Besides tourists, skating is considered as a leisure activity by a majority of the skaters and there is a craze among kids to enjoy the sport, but as they grow up, they take it up as a secondary activity.

The history of the club dates back to 1920, when tennis courts were converted into a natural ice-skating rink by Irish military official Blessington. During the winter season, when he sprinkled water on the tennis court to settle the grass, it froze within seconds and he immediately thought of converting the arena into an ice-skating rink.