SMC, tourism stakeholders at loggerheads over odd-even rule

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 1

The Shimla Municipal Corporation’s plan to write to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) regarding the implementation of odd-even rule has not gone down well with tourism stakeholders.

“The tourism industry in Shimla is already suffering due to restrictions imposed on the entry point and the move to start the odd-even system will add to the problem,” said president of the Tourism Industry Stake Holders’ Welfare Association MK Seth.

As many as 80,000 vehicles are registered in Shimla and the number of tourist vehicles plying in the town is just 2 per cent. “The number goes up to 5 per cent in the peak tourist season, which is not more than 45 days in a year,” he said, adding that the tourist vehicles entering the city should be exempted if the new system was implemented.

The municipal corporation should built a parking in the suburbs of the town and ensure proper public transport system. It should take a call on ropeways before taking any such decision as a majority of the tourists travel by road to Shimla in the absence of air connectivity.

“The Gujarat Railway Tour Organisers’ Association has sent a written complaint and sought solution to the harassment faced by them at the entry point to the town and has even threatened to delete Shimla from their Himachal destination,” he said.

Vice-president of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Board Vijay Singh Mankotia said a right approach was the need of the hour to reduce carbon emissions by striking a balance between the environment, ecology and the tourism stakeholders, whose bread and butter depended on the industry.

“Even Delhi-based environmental organisations had stated that the results showed that the odd/even experiment in Delhi had not reduced the carbon emissions to a great extent as it is not the small vehicles, but heavy ones, that add to the pollution levels,” he added.

Deputy Mayor Tikender Singh Panwar maintained that the transport accounted for 35.91 per cent of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the city.

The emissions by diesel and petrol is 54,083 tonnes and 24,515 tonnes. Diesel (28 per cent) and petrol (12 per cent) accounts for 40 per cent of the greenhouse emissions, which is 2,188,98 tonnes of the carbon dioxide and therefore it was apt to start the odd-even system.

To make the city more livable and decongest the traffic, the system could do wonders, he said, adding that reducing carbon emission would make Shimla a much sought-after tourist destination as compared to other places.