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Himachal gears up for New Year revellers, restaurants open 24x7
The Himachal Pradesh government has allowed restaurants, eateries and dhabas in the state to remain open 24x7 till the night of January 2 to cater to the rush of New Year revellers as the holiday season peaks
The Himachal Pradesh government has allowed restaurants, eateries and dhabas in the state to remain open 24x7 till the night of January 2 to cater to the rush of New Year revellers as the holiday season peaks.
Also read: Tourists throng hill stations in Himachal Pradesh ahead of new year
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu took the decision on Wednesday on the suggestion of Shimla legislator Harish Janartha and his Manali and Kasauli counterparts Bhuvneshwar Gaur and Vinod Sultanpur, respectively. “This decision has been taken to facilitate visitors during the ongoing tourist season. The government may consider continuing this arrangement provided owners of these establishments maintain law and order,” Sukhu said.
He urged tourists to observe Covid-19 appropriate behaviour and directed district administrations and police to step up vigil.
Rain, snowfall forecast from Thursday
With the meteorological department in Shimla forecasting rain and snowfall from Thursday, the tourist footfall is only expected to go up.
“A fresh western disturbance, which causes snow and rain in winter, will prevail over the region from December 29. The higher reaches in five districts of Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur, Chamba, Kullu and Shimla are likely to get a spell of snowfall,” Shimla-based senior meteorologist Sandeep Kumar Sharma said.
Tourists look beyond Shimla
The lack of snowfall in Shimla during the Christmas weekend left visitors disappointed. They now plan to head to high-altitude areas.
“Shimla is a beautiful tourist destination but there is traffic congestion. I plan a visit to Kasol in Kullu or some other destination at a higher altitude to see snowfall. It’s a thrilling experience for us from the plains,” said Aniket Kumar, a tourist from Maharashtra.
Besides tourists from neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi NCR, Himachal Pradesh is seeing a good footfall of visitors from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
The rush is adding to the traffic chaos, particularly in popular destinations such as Manali.
“The hotel occupancy is full to capacity these days but the tourist rush is resulting in traffic jams at several places, particularly at the entry and exit points of Manali,” said Gajender Thakur, the president of the Federation of Himachal Hotels and Restaurateurs Association.
