Massive Tourist Influx and Pilgrimages Surge Across Himachal and Uttarakhand Hills

New Delhi: Summer holidays and long weekends have pushed lakhs of tourists towards the hills. Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are seeing massive footfall this season. Kullu-Manali, Dharamshala, Shimla, Dalhousie and Badrinath are all packed. Hotels are full, roads are jammed and local businesses are having their best season in years. The rush is good for the economy but the administration is struggling to keep up.

Kullu-Manali highway becomes a parking lot?

The Chandigarh-Manali highway has been filled with a crowd all weekend. Vehicles have been crawling from Pandoh's 7 Mile stretch all the way to Aut for hours. Police deployed 40 extra personnel to handle traffic. The four-lane work between Pandoh and Aut is still not done. Old road damage is making things worse. Nearly three lakh tourists reached Kullu-Manali in just 13 days. Over 50,000 vehicles passed through Atal Tunnel Rohtang in five days. Manali alone saw 15,000 outside vehicles enter the town. Hotel and homestay occupancy is at 90 percent. Taxi drivers say tourists are spending more time stuck in traffic than seeing the hills. One kilometre is taking up to an hour in some spots.

Shimla saw 35,000 vehicles in one day?

Shimla recorded 8.5 lakh vehicles in May through the Shodhi entry point. June numbers are just as high. In 24 hours alone 35,000 vehicles entered the city. Police say traffic stayed mostly manageable. The Kalka-Shimla four-lane has helped reduce the worst jams. Hotel occupancy is sitting between 70 and 80 percent this season.

What is the situation of Dalhousie?

Dalhousie is cold even in mid-June. People from the plains are feeling it the moment they arrive. The heat they left behind feels like another world up here. Hundreds of vehicles are reaching Dalhousie every day. The roads are busy but not chaotic. The administration has put a one-way traffic system in place and it is actually working. Jams that plague other hill stations are largely absent here. Tourists say the drive through town is smooth. Locals say their daily life has not been disrupted the way it usually gets during peak season. Nearby Khajjiar, often called the Mini Switzerland of India, is also drawing good crowds. Chamba is seeing its share of visitors too. The entire belt is alive with tourist activity this season.

Badrinath crosses 10 lakh pilgrims?

Badrinath Dham has welcomed over 10 lakh 70 thousand pilgrims since gates opened on April 23. Rain and cold have not stopped people. This year Purushottam Maas has added special religious importance to the yatra. Pilgrims are coming from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and south India. Hemkund Sahib has also crossed 80,000 visitors. Local traders and small vendors say this has been one of their best seasons in recent memory.