Dharamsala gears up to host IPL, VIPs, polls

Raghav Guleria

Dharamsala, May 4

The sleepy town of Dharamsala is once again seeing a lot of hustle bustle as big events are lined up here in the next couple of days.

The IPL matches on May 5 and May 9, President Droupadi Murmu’s visit on May 6, upcoming elections to the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly and increasing rush of tourists are all contributing in making the region in and around Dharamsala quite a happening place.

The coming days are likely to be an acid test for the Kangra district administration, which is already engaged in the smooth conduct of the General Election and the by-election for the state legislature in Dharamsala.

The two IPL matches scheduled for tomorrow and May 9 are big attractions for cricket-lovers, who have started pouring in here from within the state, apart from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. They provide a ray of hope to the hospitality sector, which has been struggling for survival since the Covid pandemic began four years ago.

In the offing

• IPL matches on May 5 & 9
• President’s visit for CUHP convocation on May 6
• Lok Sabha polls on June 1

On May 6, President Murmu is due to attend the annual convocation ceremony of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) and the town has started getting a facelift to receive her. Rehearsals and other arrangements, keeping in view the VVIP movement and related protocols, are in full swing.

Various departments have suddenly become active and the ongoing work on the smart road has been put on slight hold, considering the rush of vehicles in the town. Potholes are being filled and the dividers painted on the road from the airport to the town.

HPSEB Executive Engineer Vikash Thakur says his department has completed the maintenance of power lines ahead of the events. There is heavy police deployment at all conspicuous locations, especially the road leading to the stadium, with focus on the smooth flow of traffic.

Attendance in schools and colleges has dipped as a lot of students can be seen readying themselves for the IPL extravaganza.

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