Sluggish road widening work irks hoteliers of Kullu, Manali

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, June 27

The sluggish pace of the construction work on the Kiratpur-Manali road widening project has irked hoteliers of Kullu and Manali. This highway is the lifeline for the tourism industry of Kullu and Manali but due to the slow pace of the ongoing work on the highway project from Sundernagar to Bhunter, travelling on the road has become cumbersome. Its poor condition directly impacts the tourism industry because Kullu and Manali lacks adequate flights at the Bhunter airport to attract high-end tourists.

The construction work had started in 2013 and was slated to be completed within three years. Hemraj Sharma, a hotelier in Manali, says, “Due to the poor condition of the Chandigarh-Manali highway, the tourism industry of Kullu and Manali is suffering badly for the past several years. This highway is the lifeline for the tourism industry, and the lone road to reach the popular tourist destination from the Chandigarh side. Ever since the road widening work started, travelling on it became risky for tourists, affecting the tourism industry directly.”

Anup Thakur, president of the Hoteliers Association Manali, says, “The slow pace of construction work on the Kiratpur-Manali road is a cause for concern because it directly impact on the tourism industry of Kullu and Manali.”