The severe heat wave in North India has resulted in a surge of tourists in the hill stations of Uttarakhand, with over 45,000 vehicles coming into the state since the start of the heat wave in Dehradun district. The traffic jams have been reported on main roads on the weekend to popular tourist places like Mussoorie, Rishikesh and Chakrata.
Officials said that the high influx of tourists was primarily attributed to the hot weather prevailing in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and adjoining areas. The heat was reaching into several cities with temperatures soaring above 42°C, and thousands of people flocked to the cooler hills of Uttarakhand for relief from the heat.
According to traffic data released by the administration, 26,000 vehicles, more than 13,000 buses/tempo travellers, and nearly 6,000 motorcycles had entered the Dehradun district between Saturday and Sunday. With a sudden surge in traffic, there were long traffic jams on highways and mountain roads, particularly on the Dehradun-Mussoorie route.
Uttarakhand’s most popular hill station – Mussoorie – was abnormally overcrowded on the weekend. Hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions were still full as tourists swarmed into the town. The city’s traffic department will have to come up with special traffic diversion plans to handle the situation and beat the traffic jams altogether.
Police forces were sent to traffic control at a number of traffic checkpoints and busy intersections. Also, there were major routes that were divided into ‘super zones’ for monitoring and coordination. Cranes and recovery vehicles were on standby to move any vehicles blocking operations, as soon as they were needed. The tourists were also encouraged to use live navigation systems to steer clear of highly populated zones.
Better road connectivity, such as the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, has also helped in the growth of short weekend holidays to Uttarakhand, experts believe. The increased mobility has led to a rise in the number of families and visitors who go to stay at hill resorts in the summer months.
The administration has advised travellers to take traffic precautions and not delay their travel on mountain roads. Authorities are anticipating a continued high level of visitors over the next few weeks, with the heatwave affecting northern states.
This tourism boom has led to a growth of local businesses and the tourism industry, but has also created worries about traffic control, overcrowding and environmental strain in such a delicate region as the Himalayas.
