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Tourist influx brings business boom to Shimla
Concerns over traffic congestion, water supply remain as more than five lakh tourist vehicles entered the capital in last two weeks
Looking to escape scorching heat, tourists are flocking the state capital in a welcome boost to the local economy.
Various sectors have benefited from the surge in tourist activity, with the sales of summer clothing and footwear, local fruits and juices shooting up. The hotel occupancy, which was earlier around 50% during weekdays, has also gone up to 80%. The establishments are witnessing full occupancy over weekends.
“It is the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that Shimla has seen such a high volume of summer tourists, a promising sign for the local tourism industry. We are receiving a lot of inquiries each day,” Anil Thakur, who owns a travel agency, said.
Shimla Vyapar Mandal co-secretary Tarun Rana expressed optimism about the current tourist season, saying, “This year, record numbers of tourists are reaching Shimla for the summer season. Tourists are not only arriving on weekends but on other days as well.”
The numbers are expected to go further up as the district administration will organise its five-day Summer Festival starting Saturday.
Traffic snarls return
The sudden influx, however, has also resulted in traffic snarls. Addressing the concerns, Shimla superintendent of police Sanjeev Gandhi said, “Nearly 5.2 lakh vehicles have entered the town in the last 13 days, impacting the traffic flow, but there were no jams. We have implemented a one-minute traffic plan wherein police stagger the traffic movement to keep the vehicles moving.”
“We are making every effort so that visitors in town do not face any kind of inconvenience,” he added.
Vishal Singh, a tourist visiting from Chandigarh, said “Traffic movement in town has become very slow. Vehicles move at a snail’s pace as soon as one enters the main town.”
The town’s parking lots also remain packed to capacity, with tourist spots in the capital’s vicinity, including Kufri, Naldehra and Narkanda also witnessing large crowds. Businessmen are buoyed over the heavy tourist influx.
Dry spell adds to water woes
The prolonged dry spell, coupled with high day time temperature, meanwhile, has also resulted in water scarcity in the town. Most localities in the town are getting water supply on the third day. The tourist influx has exacerbated the water shortage.
The town requires approximately 40 million litres per day (MLD) to meet its needs, but the depletion of natural water sources has reduced supply to just 33 MLD. Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam Limited has deployed as many as 20 water tankers to supply water in the areas facing scarcity.
Shimla mayor Surendra Chauhan highlighted the dire situation, saying, “The lack of rainfall has led to the drying up of natural water sources, from which Shimla traditionally lifts its water.”
“We are waiting for rain to restore normalcy,” Chauhan added, urging residents to conserve water during the summer months and cooperate with the authorities. Shimla draws water from six different sources. The water has receded in Gumma to 19.94 MLD, Giri 10.54 MLD, Churat 1.52 MLD, Chairh 0.49 MLD and Koti Brandi: 0.74 MLD. The water source at Seog has completely dried up.”
The municipal corporation has appealed to the public to use water judiciously, with the mayor emphasising the community’s role in managing the crisis until the monsoon rains replenish the water sources.
