Lack of enough parking space hits tourist influx to Nainital

Lack of proper parking space is affecting tourist influx in Nainital, local traders and resort owners said.

The Uttarakhand high court had earlier ruled that tourists coming to Nainital in their vehicles should ensure their hotels and resorts have parking lots.

The proposed parking lot in the outskirts of Nainital is still awaiting the forest clearance.

Parking remains one of the main issues in the small Himalayan hill station that attracts a significant number of tourists annually.

As there is almost no flat land available in the hilly Nainital, there is not much space for parking here.

In April last year, the high court even gave directions to the state government to ensure that “those coming to Nainital with their own vehicles should first make advance arrangements for parking their vehicles”.

Lack of proper parking space often leads to Traffic chaos in and around Nainital, forcing the authorities to take unprecedented measures. Last year, police had to put ‘Nainital Houseful’ flexi-banners on approach roads to Nainital given the unprecedented tourist influx.

In peak summer months, 3,000 to 4,000 vehicles arrive in Nainital daily, which leads to a lot of traffic problems like traffic jams and parking issues, both within the city and on the approach roads.

The traffic cops then stop the tourist vehicles temporarily in the outskirts of the hill station at Kaladunghi , Narayan Nagar, Roosi Bypass and so on.

In November, when chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat was in Nainital, he was questioned about the delay in setting the multi-level parking in Nainital.

He said, “There is an issue of forest clearance for the land on which it is developed. It takes time but I am hopeful we will soon get the clearance.”

Neeraj Joshi, president Taxi Travel association Nainital, said due to the advertisements issued by the district administration in media that only those tourists should come to Nainital who have advance arrangements for parking their vehicles in the hotels they have booked here, the tourist influx to Nainital has been greatly affected.

“Due to these many tourists, who wanted to come to Nainital, went to other places near Nainital like Ranikhet, Bhimtal, Sattal and so on,” he said.

Rajesh Shah, secretary Nainital Hotels’ and Restaurant Association (NHRA), said compared to the past few years occupancy of the hotels on New Year was less this year.

“Tourists face a lot of problems here due to lack of enough parking spaces. Many times they are stopped in the outskirts. Due to this many tourists are giving Nainital a miss now,” he said.

“I have been coming to Nainital for the past 13 years. But over the last few years, traffic problems have become very acute. Many tourists, especially from Delhi, are now opting for tourist spot nearby like Ranikhet and Sattal to avoid facing problems here,” said Divakar Rastogi from New Delhi.

Harbeer Singh, additional district magistrate of Nainital, said the forest department had raised some queries regarding the parking lot at Narayan Nagar.

“The administration has replied to those queries and we are now awaiting the forest clearance for the parking project here. Once we set up this parking lot, many traffic-related problems faced by locals and tourists will be resolved to a larger extent.”

First Published: Jan 07, 2019 15:29 IST