Lack of parking spaces, traffic snarls & inflow of tourists causing problems for the resident
Tuesday, 19 April | PNS | Dehradun
Mussoorie, the queen of hills, is witnessing a huge surge in the number of tourists in this season.
After lifting the Covid-19 enforced restrictions and soaring mercury in the plains the tourists are rushing to Mussoorie and other locations in the mountains to enjoy the pleasant weather. In view of the recent long weekend, people thronged to the tourist spots in Mussoorie, causing a long queue of vehicles on Mussoorie- Dehradun road. The locals are bearing the brunt of the heavy flow of the tourists and are struggling in their routine life due to severe traffic problems and overcrowding.
Ritik Kaintura, a local resident asserted that, “The city was jam-packed this weekend. There are more tourists here in comparison to the season they visit here. There is a lot of rush here in the city causing problems for the local residents,” he added.
The city was packed with tourists, with most of the hotels fully occupied. Risabh Panwar, hotel owner in Mussoorie while talking to the Pioneer said, “ Yes there were a lot of tourists here last weekend. I guess because of the long weekend, we have seen so many tourists. We also faced some of the problems due to high traffic congestion, it was quite difficult for our staff to drive here and provide essential commodities needed in the hotel,” he said.
According to the district tourism department of Dehradun, in the last three and a half months more than 11 lakh tourists have visited Dehradun and nearby areas.
The locals point out that the peak season of tourists in summer hasn’t even started yet, but the conditions have become grave due to regular traffic jams and lack of parking space. They are of the view that the state government should ensure that locals should not suffer due to traffic problems over the weekend by tourists coming in, as the Uttarakhand government is also ready to host the long awaited Char Dham Yatra from the next month in which pilgrims will come in a huge number.
