SHIMLA: The
tourist towns of Manali
, Solang and Atal Tunnel upto Sissu in Lahaul-Spiti are choked with the rush of vehicles as thousands of tourists rushed hoping for
White Christmas
following a fresh spell of snowfall in Lahaul-Spiti district on Saturday. From Saturday till 10:30 am on Sunday, a total of 12701 vehicles crossed Atal Tunnel Rohtang, of which 6571 vehicles entered Lahaul valley while 6130 vehicles exited out of the valley through the tunnel.
Before Christmas, tourists started reaching the tourist places of Himachal Pradesh with a large number of tourists reaching Manali on Saturday.
In order to see snow, most of the tourists moved from Manali towards Sissu and Koksar in Lahaul valley. Due to the large number of tourists arriving, there was a 4 to 5 kms long traffic jam in Solang. Due to this, hundreds of vehicles got stuck in the jam.
As traffic jams have become frequent right from Manali upto Atal Tunnel and Sissu, police tried its best to ensure a smooth flow of traffic. According to Kullu police, large number of tourists from outside states are coming to Kullu-Manali to celebrate Christmas and New Year. To ensure smooth functioning of the law and traffic system, Kullu Police has deployed police personnel at various places and action is being taken against those violating the law.
A senior police official said that many tourists from outside states, who had black screens on their mirrors, have been penalized, with the police issuing challans to such vehicles and removing the black screens. On Sunday, due to the heavy rush of vehicles, traffic jams were witnessed at several places.
There was a traffic jam at many places in Manali on Saturday also. Usually, it takes 45 minutes to reach Atal Tunnel from Manali, but due to traffic jams, it took three to four hours for the tourists to reach Atal Tunnel. Tourists going towards Sissu took six to seven hours to cover the same route on return due to slippery road conditions after snowfall.
Heavy traffic jams were reported in various areas of Manali, including Mata Hidimba Complex, Circuit House, Club House, Aleo, Rangri, Vashishtha, Kulang, Palchan, Solanga Nala, Haki Bridge, Dhundhi, and Atal Tunnel. The police encountered significant challenges in managing the influx of tourist vehicles.
The Winter Carnival Committee, Manali, has decided to make the Christmas celebration special for tourists. The committee has made all preparations for this as there will be mega folk dance even in Mall Road on Christmas. More than one thousand women from 100 Mahila Mandals of Left Bank of Manali Assembly Constituency will participate in this. At night, tourists will dance to the tunes of the DJ.
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