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Holiday Rush Clogs Himalayan Routes
3 Oct
Summary
- Extended Gandhi Jayanti weekend caused heavy tourist and pilgrim influx.
- Key routes to Manali, Shimla, Mussoorie, and Char Dham shrines congested.
- Traffic jams extended for kilometers, causing multi-hour travel delays.
A significant influx of tourists and pilgrims during the recent three-day Gandhi Jayanti weekend has led to widespread traffic congestion in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The extended holiday, beginning October 2, prompted many to travel to hill stations and the Char Dham shrines.
Heavy traffic was observed on routes leading to Manali and Shimla, with the Chandigarh-Shimla National Highway-5 seeing extensive queues. Journeys that usually take around four hours were extended by several additional hours, affecting local residents and essential services as well.
In Uttarakhand, pilgrimage routes to Badrinath Dham and Hemkund Sahib experienced severe congestion due to increased devotee numbers. A traffic jam stretching approximately seven kilometers was reported between Joshimath and Marwari. The Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage is nearing its final phase, while Pitru Paksha has maintained a steady flow of devotees to Badrinath Dham.
Authorities reported that while routes to Gangotri and Yamunotri were moving smoothly, the overall movement of people has caused prolonged delays across numerous routes in both states. Safety concerns were also raised as some vehicles were compelled to drive close to road edges amid the dense traffic.
