The rush to celebrate Christmas in the mountains caused huge traffic jams in Manali and Shimla of Himachal Pradesh on Monday. During the long weekend due to the festival, numerous tourists gathered at these two popular hill stations of North India for the last three days. Photos and videos of long traffic jams on the roads leading to these places are going viral on social media, showing how people were stuck in vehicles for hours. Atal Tunnel, the world’s highest single-tube tunnel above 10,000 feet, witnessed record-breaking crowds. Where 42,552 vehicles passed between Sunday (December 24) and Christmas (December 25).
Pictures and videos of the traffic jam near Atal Tunnel went viral on social media as thousands of tourists headed towards Sissu Valley in Lahaul district of Himachal Pradesh. Snowfall in the valley in the last few days has attracted a record number of tourists during the Christmas holidays. Manali is still awaiting snowfall, so most tourists decided to cross the tunnel to the other side.
Drone footage recorded by Himachal Pradesh Police shows Sissu Valley littered with thousands of cars parked near the helipad next to Sissu Lake. The view of Chandra River can be seen from this lake. According to estimates, more than one lakh people have visited the valley in the last two days.
To deal with the huge rush of tourists to the hills during Christmas and New Year celebrations, the state police administration has issued guidelines for those driving to hill stations. Himachal Pradesh Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu has appealed to all tourists to give priority to safe travel and follow traffic rules. He said, “The local administration and police forces of both Lahaul Spiti and Kullu districts are doing a commendable job 24×7 to manage the traffic smoothly in almost minus 12 degree temperature and ensure that everyone reaches their destination safely.”
Kullu Police also said that they are keeping a strict vigil through CCTV cameras and drones. He said — “Kullu police are working day and night to ensure that tourist travel is safe, especially in the evening given the slippery road conditions due to snow and black ice.”
A huge crowd was also seen in Shimla during the long Christmas weekend. Traffic jams were reported on Monday on the Kalka-Shimla highway, where many vehicles were stuck in the jam to reach the hill station.
The traffic jam is likely to continue till next weekend during the New Year celebrations. According to the weather forecast, there may be snowfall in Manali during this period, which can attract more tourists to the city. The state government is fully prepared to meet this challenge in the coming days while welcoming the influx of tourists. For this, they will deploy police to manage the traffic efficiently and take action against vehicles violating traffic rules.
