Mandatory guides, trekking curfew at Dzükou Valley from October 1

DIMAPUR — The Southern Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO) has announced new regulations for trekkers visiting Dzükou Valley, effective October 1, making it compulsory to engage registered local guides and prohibiting trekking after 3 pm.

According to SAYO, the measures were necessitated by the increasing number of incidents involving trekkers who, without guides, lost their way or became stranded along the trail.

The organisation stated that its volunteers have repeatedly undertaken late-night and early-morning rescue operations, often at considerable risk and expense.

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To prevent such incidents and ensure the safety of visitors, SAYO has laid down the following directives: all trekkers must hire the services of a SAYO-registered local guide before entering Dzükou Valley; trekking after 3 pm, either towards or from Dzükou Valley, will be strictly prohibited; defaulters will be penalised in accordance with SAYO’s rules, and the organisation will not be held liable for any risk incurred.

Appealing for cooperation, the SAYO urged visitors to comply with the new rules, stressing that the measures are for their own safety as well as for the preservation of Dzükou Valley.