Drone shot: Himachal Pradesh roads grapple with traffic snarls amid tourist influx

Roads connecting several tourist destinations in Himachal Pradesh are grappling with severe traffic congestion after a huge number of tourists started to arrive in the state to celebrate Christmas and New Year.

The police in the Lahaul and Spiti district carried out drone surveillance to keep an eye on the traffic situation in the region, and the video clip shows trails of vehicles chocking the roads leaving no space for parking facilities.

The surge of vehicles ahead of the festive season has also caused a tricky law and order situation in the region. On Monday, the Himachal Pradesh Police issued a challan for allegedly driving an SUV in Chandra River in Lahaul and Spiti.

“Crossing the river Chandra in District Lahaul Spiticrossing the river Chandra in District Lahaul Spiti. To ensure that no one commits such an offence in the future, the district police have deployed police personnel at the said place,” a police official said.

Amid the traffic chaos, several people indulged in risky car stunts causing a nuisance. A video of a man driving his car with its doors open went viral on social media. The driver was seen precariously hanging from one of the doors. The police in Kullu took cognisance of the video and charged a ₹3,500 fine.

The Manali-Rohtang highway as well as roads towards Atal Tunnel piled up with cars causing a traffic logjam. The sheer volume of vehicles worsened the situation with inadequate public space and parking facilities. Local authorities are tussling to manage the inflow of high volume of traffic during peak hours.