PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Nainital
With the tourist season picking up pace, the lake city Nainital is now almost chock-a-block with visitors, bringing cheers for those associated with the tourism sector. Most of the hotels and home stays are completely full while the parking lots are also seen packed with vehicles. It is estimated that over ten thousand tourists reached Nainital in a single day on Friday while more than two thousand tourist vehicles headed towards the city.
However, with the tourist influx gaining momentum, the main roads like Mall Road, Masjid Chowraha, Zoo Road and Metropole Road got jammed several times, while the vehicles were seen crawling on the roads leading to Haldwani, Kaladhungi and Bhowali. Limited parking facilities made the arrangements even more challenging. In an attempt to control things, the police stopped about 150 vehicles on Rusi Bypass and sent them towards the city through a shuttle service, while tourists going to Kainchi Dham were diverted through alternative routes to reduce the traffic pressure on the main city.
The city’s numerous tourist destinations bustled with tourists. Popular destinations like Snow View, Himalaya Darshan, Waterfalls, Cave Gardens, Zoo, and Botanical Gardens saw a steady flow of visitors, while Mall Road was packed with tourists from morning until evening. Boating enthusiasts also queued up in large numbers.
With the spurt in demand, hotel rates also rose, and complaints emerged of overcharging by taxi drivers.
On Friday, 1,889 tourists visited the city’s high-altitude zoological park, while the number of people who visited Snow View by ropeway was over 1,000. The waterfalls also saw a steady flow of 1,037 visitors, while the Botanical Gardens saw 466 visitors.
In view of the surging tourist footfalls and subsequent pressure on the traffic system, the police administration has drawn up a special traffic plan for the entire tourist season. According to SP Crime, Nainital, Jagdish Chandra, tourists, who have a confirmed hotel booking and parking facility, will be allowed direct entry into the city whereas those who have a booking but no parking arrangement will be stopped at Rusi 1 and Rusi 2 Bypass and sent to the city via shuttle. He also appealed to the tourists to not come to Nainital without booking and must ensure parking facility while choosing a hotel.
“This traffic arrangement will continue till June 30 because during this period a large number of tourists reach the surrounding areas, including Kainchi Dham, Mukteshwar, Bhimtal, Sattal and Naukuchiatal,” he added.
