Mercury soaring, tourists rush to Kullu, Manali

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, May 27

With the plains witnessing the searing heat, people are making a beeline for the hill stations of Kullu and Manali to heave a sigh of relief.

People associated with the tourism industry said bookings in hotels had reached 80 per cent and they were hoping for an increase in the coming days. The 13,050-high Rohtang Pass was also attracting a huge crowd, they added.

Gajender Thakur, president of the Kullu-Manali Hoteliers’ Association, said, “A sudden influx of tourists has brought cheers among hoteliers and taxi operators. Earlier, hotel bookings were as low as 50 per cent till the end of April.”With the influx of tourist vehicles, the road between Kullu-Manali and the Rohtang Pass is witnessing a huge traffic jam on a daily basis. The local police have been on toes to deal with the situation.

Police personnel said the ongoing four-laning of the Kullu-Manali highway at several places was adding to the woes. However, adequate force had been deployed at key points to regulate traffic.

SP, Kullu, Shalini Agnihotri said on an average, the entry of 10,000 vehicles was being reported in Kullu district everyday. The department was making all efforts to ensure a smooth traffic movement, she added.

The SP added that they had deployed 250 police personnel and home guards at key points to regulate traffic, though the ongoing road repair work at several stretches was creating hurdles.

She said the road from Manali to the Rohtang Pass was narrow, leading to long jams. Tourists often park their vehicles on the roadside, which cause inconvenience to other commuters.

The SP said police personnel would patrol the area on bikes to monitor the situation.