With snow cleared, Gulaba to be accessible soon

Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, April 8

Gulaba, a famous tourist spot between Manali and Rohtang, will be thrown open to tourists soon as the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) clears the snow from the road and parking facilities are restored. Presently, the tourists are being allowed to Kothi. Most of the tourists were going to Solang Nullah and Sissu by crossing the Atal Tunnel, as there was no snow in Kothi. Last year Gulaba was thrown open to tourists on March 16, however the snow had melted there by then.

The tourists will get another snow point for picnic after the opening of Gulaba, however, there is very less snow there now. This will also give impetus to the tourism business of Manali. Manali SDM Raman Sharma said that he had recommended allowing the tourists till Gulaba, adding that the movement of vehicles would depend upon the weather conditions. He further added that the barrier installed in Kothi will be shifted to Gulaba soon.

The BRO has been undertaking snow-clearance operation from both sides of the 13,058 feet high Rohtang Pass. The district administration had halted vehicular traffic beyond Gulaba from November 29. Last year, traffic to Marhi was restored on May 19 and vehicular movement to Rohtang Pass was allowed after June 6. The Rohtang Pass is a world famous tourist attraction and the visitors to Manali are able to enjoy the view of snow on the Pass from May to November.

Meanwhile, the higher reaches of the valley experienced snowfall and the lower reaches were received rain in the afternoon yesterday. The excitement of the tourists increased as the snow started falling on the high peaks. The tourists were thrilled by the snowfall in the North Portal of Atal Tunnel in Lahaul valley. The tourists also enjoyed adventure activities in Solang Nala and Sissu.

A large number of tourists reached Manali over the weekend. Manali and other tourist places were seen buzzing with tourists. A huge number of tourists gathers every day at the snow points of Manali and Lahaul. This trend is expected to increase in the coming days with the mercury rising in the plains. The local tourism industry is also happy to witness the influx of tourists.

Vikas from Delhi said, “We are enjoying a lot as we have never witnessed snowfall earlier”. A tourist Sarita from Haryana said she was thrilled to witness the snowfall in the month of April. She said, “I captured the moment and uploaded my experience on social media and many viewers were amazed to see the snowfall. Most of the people were not able to believe experiencing a snowfall in the month of April in India.”

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