Advisory against travelling to Solang valley, Atal Tunnel irks Manali hoteliers

Tribune News Service

Dipender Manta

Mandi, December 27

A police advisory issued to hoteliers to ask tourists to avoid travelling towards the Solang valley and Atal Tunnel in wake of the inclement weather, has irked Manali hoteliers.

‘Allow movement until heavy snowfall reported’

• As per the advisory, if any tourist vehicle is found plying towards the Solang valley and Atal Tunnel, it would be forced to return to Manali in view of public safety
• On Monday evening, mild snowfall was reported in the Solang valley and near Atal Tunnel on the Manali-Leh highway, due to which the police issued the advisory for the public
• However, hoteliers have objected to the stance of the police and urged the authorities to allow the movement of tourist vehicles from Manali until the area experiences heavy snowfall

As per the advisory, if any tourist vehicle is found plying towards the Solang valley and Atal Tunnel, it would be forced to return to Manali in view of public safety.

On Monday evening, mild snowfall was reported in the Solang valley and near Atal Tunnel on the Manali-Leh highway, due to which the police authorities issued the advisory for the general public to ensure public safety. However, hoteliers have objected to the the police advisory and urged the authorities to allow the movement of tourist vehicles towards the Solang valley and Atal Tunnel from Manali side until the area experiences heavy snowfall.

They said tourists visit the Solang valley and Atal Tunnel areas to enjoy the snowfall. Restricting movement of tourists will have an adverse impact on the tourism industry too, they said.

Kullu-Manali Paryatan Vikas Mandal president Anup Thakur asked where would the tourists go if all tourist destinations were closed?

He said the administration and police should be fully prepared to handle the situation instead of stopping tourists from visiting the Solang valley, Kothi and nearby places.

“What would happen to the hotels located in Solang and surrounding areas if the tourists are not allowed to go to these places?” he asked.

“It is not a wise decision. To regulate traffic, the police should allow a limit on the number of vehicles to the area and supervise traffic movement,” he said.

Hoteliers as well as tourists were delighted since Monday evening after Atal Tunnel and its nearby places such as Sissu and the Solang valley received fresh snow. Now, hoteliers are expecting good business in the coming days because snow is the major attraction for tourists.

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