Eco-friendly luxury

Daman Deep Singh, General Manager, Karma Lakelands, says it is important for India to project itself as a sustainable destination, and they keep this in mind while serving guests.

TT Bureau

Sustainability has become a buzzword in hospitality. Tell us some of the key activities that your resort ensures to guests?

The term sustainability is synonymous with Karma Lakelands and the sole reason for this is that we religiously follow sustainable practices in every step we take. We treat and harvest water at a large scale to nourish our four lush forests and expansive golf course. Farming is close to our heart, so we ardently practice activities like organic farming, horticulture and bee farming. We have adopted a strict no-honk and plastic policy at our resort.  Even the vegetables, fruits and herbs that are used in preparing the meals of our guests come directly from our farms.

Why should India look at responsible tourism seriously now?

Being a country with a rich culture and diversity, the number of tourists that India attracts every year is huge. So, it is pertinent to mirror the image of India as a responsible country. Sustainability and environmentally friendly practices are followed all over the world. India being a developing nation comes under constant scrutiny for producing industrial waste and pollution, our responsibility as a nation is to enusre that tourists take back home a greener and cleaner image of India.

Can one do luxury travel while being a responsible traveller?

It is 100 per cent possible to take along luxury and responsible travelling together. We at Karma Lakelands offer a luxury experience to our guests without compromising on sustainability. Large solar panels supply power to our resort and water, a valuable resource, is recycled every day. In this way, the traveller is not carrying the guilt of wasting the resources of the planet. We  also discourage them to use plastic bottles and offer glass bottles and cutlery instead.