As a large number of tourists thronged to Himachal Pradesh to celebrate Christmas and New Year, drone surveillance is being carried out by the authorities in the Lahaul and Spiti district. The police said that the surveillance is being conducted in order to maintain law and order, ensure the safety of tourists, and monitor the local traffic system.
Meanwhile, visuals have also surfaced showing a large number of tourists gathered in Shimla for the Winter Carnival and Christmas season. Manali is also experiencing extreme traffic congestion as the festive season sets in. Due to the influx of tourists, there is a traffic jam on some roads, including the Manali-Rohtang highway and the routes leading to the Atal Tunnel.
Visitors face parking issues
The situation worsened owing to the insufficient parking facilities, which made it difficult for many visitors to find somewhere to park because public areas could not handle the influx of cars.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also urged tourists to follow rules and regulations, adding that police will not lock up drunk tourists; instead, they will take them to hotels. He made the gesture towards them to promote tourism in the state, which is witnessing a large influx of visitors during the festive season of Christmas and New Year.
'Winter Carnival' in Shimla
Due to the Winter Carnival, the state government has decided to keep hotels, restaurants and dhabas open 24 hours a day for the convenience of tourists. Apart from this, the police have also been instructed not to harass the tourists. The Chief Minister inaugurated the weeklong 'Winter Carnival' in Shimla to promote tourism in the state and said, "We want to promote tourism in the state. We have opened eating joints, Dhaba and restaurants that will function 24 hours a day, starting from December 20 to January 5. So that the tourists do not face any problems."
(With inputs from ANI)
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