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Christmas rush in Himachal, snow draws tourists to Atal Tunnel
An estimated 65,000 people in more than 12,000 vehicles crossed Rohtang tunnel on Sunday, which was thrice the usual flow, causing traffic jams
Thousands of tourists thronged Himachal Pradesh during the long Christmas weekend with the 9.2-km Atal Tunnel in Rohtang that joins Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti districts emerging as the most sought-after destination despite sub-zero temperatures. The huge rush of tourists led to long queues of vehicles
An estimated 65,000 people in more than 12,000 vehicles crossed the tunnel on Sunday, according to police data. This was thrice the usual flow, causing traffic jams. While a white Christmas eluded Manali, Rohtang received heavy snowfall on Saturday, prompting tourists to make a beeline for it. The rush led to congestion en route with those stuck in the jam taking to social media, ruing poor traffic management.
The tunnel is the world’s highest single-tube tunnel above 10,000 feet.
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State director general of police Sanjay Kundu said lakhs of tourists have arrived in the state and appealed to them to prioritise safe travel practices and adhere to traffic rules. While sharing photos of Atal Tunnel, Rohtang, he said that the local administration and the police force of both Lahaul and Spiti and Kullu districts have been working 24x7 to manage the traffic in minus 12 degrees Celsius, ensuring everyone reaches their destination safe.
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said, “We welcome tourists who have come in such huge numbers, crossing over lakhs. Himachal Pradesh has stood up again after the natural disaster in the monsoon.”
Large parts of Himachal Pradesh had suffered heavy damage during two spells of rain this monsoon. The heavy rain wreaked havoc in Mandi and Kullu districts, causing large-scale destruction. Shimla and Solan districts were hit during the second spell in August.
Sukhu praised the efforts of the district administration and the police for efficiently managing the huge tourist influx and extending a helping hand to those stuck in the snow, particularly at the north and the south portals of the tunnel.
13 traffic bottlenecks in Shimla
As many as 45,000 vehicles entered Shimla town in the past three days.
Shimla police have introduced a one-minute traffic plan for reducing congestion. Superintendent of police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi said: “The town has parking facilities for 4,500 vehicles. We have 13 bottlenecks in the town. The vehicular flow capacity is 35 to 40 vehicles a minute, while the arrival at these points is about 60 vehicles a minute which is why the rotation of one-minute halt at temporary barriers has been started from 15km outside the city.”
Good tidings for hotel industry
The Christmas and New Year festivities have brought good tidings for the hospitality industry in Kasauli, Chail, Dharamshala, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti, too. Himachal Pradesh Tourism Corporation managing director Amit Kashyap said hotels are full to capacity. All Himachal Hotels and Restaurants Association president Gajendra Thakur said: “Business is back on track after the monsoon.”
Himachal Pradesh Tourism Stake Holders Association chief Mohinder Seth said: “High-end hotels are full, but the low end ones are doing average business. We expect more tourists by the New Year.”
The tourism development corporation has organised a Kashmiri Food Festival, while the Shimla Municipal Corporation has organised a five-day winter carnival from Christmas to New Year.
After the Delhi-Manali service, the corporation has started Volvo bus service on the Shimla-Delhi route, too. The Volvo leaves Shimla at 8.30am and reaches Delhi at 5pm. The departure from Delhi is 9pm and the bus reaches Shimla at 5.30am. The fare per seat has been fixed at ₹952.
