Opened after 18 months, tourists reach Rohtang Pass in droves

Abhinav Vashisht

KULLU, JUNE 14

The tourists today rushed to the Rohtang Pass from Manali as 150 local taxis were given permits as per the guidelines of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

The pass was deserted since last year due to Covid outbreak and it was thrown open to the tourists today after about 18 months.

The BRO cleared snow from the pass on May 29 and now the government relaxed the Covid curfew and announced that the RT-PCR report from the tourists was not required, resulting in the influx of tourists to the pass. The Rohtang Pass is a world famous tourist destination and lakhs of tourists arrive here to enjoy snow, which is there till June-end and sometimes even later.

Now as the second wave of Corona was subsiding, the tourists have started arriving to this popular tourist destination. The tourist influx was expected to increase in the coming days. A record 6,54,622 tourists had arrived in Manali during the winter season from October to February after the first wave of Covid subsided. The beneficiaries of the tourism industry, who had suffered heavy losses due to Covid crisis, are hopeful that their business will now gain pace.

With the Lahaul and Spiti administration also doing away with the requirement of RT-PCR report to visit the valley from today, tourists can cross over to the Lahaul valley from Rohtang Pass and return back to Manali via Atal Tunnel.

Lahaul and Spiti DC Pankaj Rai said that vehicles would not be allowed to go from Koksar side towards Rohtang Pass as this would result in traffic jams. He said that weekly RT-PCR tests of employees of hospitality units, restaurants and dhabas will be carried out as a safety measure. He added that RAT test of labourers will be done at the district borders.

Manali SDM Raman Gharsangi said all stakeholders should adhere to the Covid norms and inform their guests to follow Covid protocols. The visitors should be apprised not to venture near the river as strong current of water during summers could prove fatal. He said that warning boards to caution tourists had been put at various dangerous spots near the river.

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