Karnataka bans weekend entry at Nandi Hills after over 8,000 flock at hilltop

An hour-long-ride from Karnataka’s state capital Bengaluru, the Nandi Hills was reopened on July 10 after the state government lifted the weekend curfew.

In continuation of instances of “revenge travel” that has lately plagued the northern hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, Nandi Hills – a popular destination for a weekend getaway from Bengaluru – witnessed an influx of tourists. After over 8,000 people flocked to the Hills, the Chikkaballapur district administration decided to reportedly ban entry during the weekends. The hills will remain closed from Friday 6pm to Monday 6am, reports suggest.

Although Nandi Hills was thrown open to the public on June 21, it remained shut during weekends.

The Karnataka government had imposed a lockdown soon after the second wave of Covid-19 hit the country. It was lifted in a phased manner and the Nandi Hills was thrown open to the public on June 21 even though it remained shut during weekends. However, the popular destination witnessed a rush of travelers on the very first weekend following the lifting of the weekend curfew on July 10.

Nandi hills is an hour's drive from Bengaluru, and it draws a large number of people for offering a beautiful view of the sunrise and sunset.

The Union home ministry also issued fresh guidelines on Wednesday, asking states and Union territories (UTs) to make officers personally responsible for any laxity in strict enforcement of rules. It also mentioned that “massive crowds” are thronging at market places and hill stations, even as the R-factor (reproduction number that indicates the speed at which infection is spreading) is high in some states.

The development comes at the backdrop of tourists’ influx in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Visuals of people roaming around without wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing norms necessitated to prevent Covid-19 went viral in the media. This compelled the Uttarakhand administration to impose restrictions by making a negative RT-PCR test report mandatory for entry to the state, and also capping hotel occupancy at 50%.

Meanwhile, three people of the same family in Uttarakhand’s Mussoorie have tested positive for coronavirus, nodal officer Dr Pradeep Rana said. As many as 17 others, who came in contact with the family have undergone RT-PCR tests and were awaiting reports. The family, on the other hand, have been quarantined.