New spot Hamta ready for tourists

MC Thakur

MANALI, MARCH 15

The Deputy Commissioner, Kullu, today held a meeting with officials of all departments, panchayat pradhans, presidents of various unions, organisations and tourism stakeholders to review the preparations for the tourist season starting from April.

The peak summer tourist season in Manali starts from April to June. Traffic, law and order, garbage treatment, overcharging, unavailability of taxis and opening of Rohtang for tourists are the main issues, besides the National Green Tribunal order. Stakeholders informed the DC about the problems and challenges and tried to find out its solution.

Yunus Khan, DC, said new tourist spot Hamta would be thrown open for tourists from Sunday. He said mobile toilets and the parking facility at Hamta had been arranged and tourists could now go to explore this place. Only 200 vehicles a day would be allowed to go to Hamta but he said the administration would try to increase this limit.

He also said the Border Roads Organisation was clearing snow on a war footing on the Rohtang road and once the organisation gave the administration the green signal, they need 15-20 days to establish mobile toilets, dustbins and arrangements for parking space. Rohtang would then be thrown open for tourists, he said.

The DC said running traffic smoothly was the main challenge in the peak season.

“The extra police force and Home Guard jawans will be deployed in Manali to maintain traffic, law and order from April 1. We will make some ‘no-honking zones’ and efforts are being made to arrange new parking spaces. Special awareness campaigns will be held every week,” he said.

Panchayat pradhans requested the DC for arranging a mechanism to dispose of garbage and bottles which were lying everywhere. The possibility of installing streetlights on roads in villages close to Manali and more lamp posts on the Mall Road was also discussed. As the existing Mall Road had become congested, the DC asked officials to check possibility for its expansion.

He disclosed that a 100-ft-high monumental national flag would be installed at Ram Bagh in Manali and a selfie point would be developed near the Mall Road, close to Himachal Tourism hotel which would be an added attraction for tourists.