[ad_1]
Himachal Pradesh News: Tourist destinations like Kasol and Manali in Himachal Pradesh are witnessing massive traffic congestion as tourists flock to the hill stations as Christmas Eve approaches, leading to slow down of vehicular movement .
Fresh snowfall occurred on Saturday at Atal Tunnel ahead in Rohtang Pass.
The Atal Tunnel, an engineering marvel in the Himalayas, is a highway tunnel built beneath the Rohtang Pass in the eastern Pir Panjal range. Located on the Leh-Manali Highway in Himachal Pradesh, India, it holds the distinction of being the longest single-tube highway tunnel located above 10,000 feet, according to the official website of the Border Roads Organisation.
On Thursday, Shimla district police said they anticipated a huge rush of visitors ahead of the Christmas and year-end festivities.
Police said they expect more than one lakh tourist vehicles to visit the hill town in the last week of December on the eve of Christmas and New Year.
Shimla city mayor has planned the first winter carnival to promote the traditions and culture of Himachal Pradesh as well as attract tourists to the state for year-end festivities and fun.
With the end of the year, tourists have started reaching the hill state in large numbers in the hope of snowfall at foreign places.
Speaking to ANI, Shimla Superintendent of Police (SP) Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi said, “Police are expecting more than one lakh tourist vehicles to arrive in the hill town in the last week of this year.”
“Police are prepared for myriad challenges due to changing weather in Shimla. The number of vehicles is increasing in the city on weekends. We will act as facilitators for tourists, people involved in hospitality business and other stakeholders. We will hold meetings ” All stakeholders. Snow filled roads are also a big challenge for us in winter. “We have divided the city into five sectors, each of which will be assigned a rescue team,” Gandhi said.
“There is a steady increase in tourist vehicles. There is a particular number of vehicles entering the city from the Shogi Barrier. Usually around 5,000 to 6,000 vehicles come into the city every day. However, now the number has gone up to 12,000 every year. Up to 13,000 before the end-of-the-year festivities. We expect the number to increase to 20,000 around Christmas and New Year,” SP Gandhi said.
“We have planned to deploy 10 platoons, which will enable us to press 200 additional forces into action if needed. Additional personnel will be deployed for both traffic management and security,” Gandhi said.
The week-long Winter Carnival begins at noon on Christmas Day, December 25. Shimla Municipal Corporation hopes to restart tourism business here. The Mayor is also keen to spread the message of clean and green tourism in the mountains through the carnival.
“We are planning a winter carnival for the first time in Shimla. I have been holding meetings with stakeholders and officials for the last three days. We are ready to showcase our traditional folk dance forms and musical instruments. Inaugurating the Chief Minister’s Week We will organize a long winter carnival on December 25. We will also organize a traditional folk dance with the participation of 500 women,” Shimla Mayor Surinder Chauhan said.
(With ANI inputs)
Unlock a world of benefits! From informative newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and personalized newsfeeds – it’s all here, just a click away! log in now!
Catch all business news, market news, breaking news events and latest news updates on Live Mint. Download Mint News app to get daily market updates.
more less
Published: 23 Dec 2023, 10:37 PM IST
