Lahaulites upset over tourists creating nuisance

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, October 15

Some tourists are creating nuisance in the Lahaul valley, causing resentment among local people. Residents of the valley have urged the district administration to keep a vigil on the offenders and take action against them. They say that tourists throw garbage and waste materials on the way to Lahaul after crossing the Atal Tunnel at Rohtang. Some of them consume liquor on the banks of the Chandra and Bhaga rivers in Lahaul and Spiti district.

Today, around 900 vehicles moved towards the Lahaul valley from the Manali side. “Many tourists are harassing and teasing local women, which will not be tolerated at any cost. One such incident was reported in the Jahlma area where people noticed a woman weeping after she was harassed by tourists. The victim narrated her ordeal to the locals, who warned the offenders not to create nuisance,” Lahaul valley residents said.

Women being harassed

Many tourists coming to Lahaul are creating nuisance and harassing local women. We met the district administration over the Jhalma incident and urged it to keep strict vigil on the offenders. —Ramesh Rulba, lahaul & spiti zp president

The state government has made inadequate arrangements to handle the tourist arrival in the district after the opening of the Atal Tunnel. The valley residents are now expressing their resentment on social media such as Facebook and WhatsApp. They allege that due to the apathy of the government, there are no arrangements in place to handle the tourist influx.

“Due to the lack of toilet facilities from the tunnel to Lahaul, tourists defecate and urinate in the open, causing ecological degradation. There are no signboards or warning boards on the way to Lahaul to make tourists aware about the ecology of the area,” the residents said.

Ramesh Kumar Rulba, president of the Zila Parishad Lahaul and Spiti, said, “Many tourists coming to Lahaul are creating nuisance and harassing local women. We met the district administration over the Jhalma incident and urged it to keep strict vigil on the offenders”.

Deputy Commissioner KK Saroch said, “The people of the Lahaul valley have been asked to note down the registration number of the tourist vehicle and report it to the police immediately if any tourist tries to misbehave with local women or indulge in any illegal activity. I have asked the SP of Lahaul and Spiti to deal with such offenders strictly”.

He said that the district administration was procuring mobile toilets and dustbins and soon these would be installed from the Atal Tunnel to the Lahaul valley.

Valley being littered

Tourists throw garbage and waste materials on the way to Lahaul after crossing the Atal Tunnel.

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