Amid incessant rainfall, Himachal Pradesh issues guidelines for safety of general public, tourists. Details here
4 min read 30 Jun 2023, 06:19 AM ISTAmid heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, the Tourism Chief has issued guidelines for the safety of tourists. The local Met office has predicted a wet spell in the state till July 5.
PremiumAmid incessant rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, Tourism Chief RS Bali has issued guidelines for the safety of the tourists and the general public.
The Chief of the Tourism Development Board and Tourism Corporation of Himachal Pradesh RS Bali stated that the weather condition in the state was not something to panic since all the daily workings had not been disrupted.
"It is not a panic condition in our state, our schools, colleges, and offices are working. There is nothing which has stopped away the daily working of the state," Bali said as quoted by news agecny ANI.
Here are the guidelines issued by the Tourism department
Visitors are advised to drive carefully and keep the location of their mobile phones switched on in case they get stuck due to the rainfall.
If visitors are planning on any trekking expeditions, it is advised to start the expedition with an expert guide.
Bali also appealed to the people of the state to follow all the issued advisories and directed the tourists to register themselves with the state authorities so as to initiate contact in case they get stuck or lost while trekking.
Tourists must ensure that the GPS function on their mobile phones is enabled at all times, allowing their location to be tracked throughout their journey.
It is advisable to avoid driving in conditions of mist, rain, and fog.
Tourists should make the most of their stay and travel experiences in the hills while also showing respect for the mountains' sacredness.
Bali also informed that no national or state highways were closed due to the rainfall and that all the roads were opened in the state. "All the roads are opened in the state. And people are moving freely across Himachal Pradesh," said the Chief of the HP Tourism Department.
"I would ask visitors to register with the authorities so that we can get in touch with them if they go hiking or off-roading in the area. All of the roads here are open, with the exception of a few rural ones. Because of these reports, there is panic and all of the HPTDC hotels are sold out, he added further.
Adding further Bali said, "If you compare Himachal Pradesh to any other state, it is the top hill destination in the nation. It is safe and serene without being particularly beautiful. I believe tourists have been coming here and they will keep coming, "The Indian meteorological department has forecasted rain in most parts of the state during the next three to four days.
Speaking about the rainfall in the state, a tourist from Sonipat Ashu said, "I came from Punjab and wanted to visit Manali but I got to know that due to the heavy rain roads are closed and people are getting stuck. So now I don't wish to go to Manali and I will return home from Shimla only as it is still raining in the region."
Another tourist from Punjab said that they had planned a five-day tour but due to the bad weather conditions in the state, they cancelled their trip to Manali.
"We had planned a five-day tour. We wanted to go to Kullu-Manali but due to the bad weather and landslide, we are cancelling to go to Manali and will return back from Shimla. We got to know that roads are not good and there have been incidents of cloudburst so we shall not move further and we shall go back from here," said Ashu Khatri, a touristSpeaking about the weather in the state, a travel agent said that the bookings in the hilly region were being cancelled due to the landslides and bad weather conditions.
"It has been raining heavily in the state for two or three days. The bookings are being cancelled as the tourists don't want to come here due to landslides and rain the roads are also getting closed. People are also in a state of fear. People involved in the taxi business are also not getting good business in Shimla, these days there is only 40 per cent occupancy of hotels. We hope tourists will continue to come " said Bilal Sheikh, a local travel agent.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Shimla Police also said that it will deploy guards on the banks of the rivers in the district to prevent drowning cases in the region. The move came amid surge in drowning cases due to the ongoing monsoon season and heavy rainfall in the region. In this regard, Superintendent of Police Shimla District Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi said that along with River Guards near the rivers, signage would be placed which will mention not to go near the banks of the river.
"The drowning incidents are happening in the district, we have studied the data of drowning during the past five years. Over 100 people died due to drowning in the district. We have decided that we shall deploy 'River Guards' near the rivers and more clear and strong signage would be placed instructing not to go to river banks," SP Shimla Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi said.
(With inputs from ANI)
