Tourists have gone to the mountains during the Christmas and New Year holidays. In such a situation, heavy traffic jams are being seen in places like Manali, Kullu and Sissu. In the last 24 hours, record breaking traffic movement has been seen on Atal Tunnel.
According to TOI report, the police department said that ‘28,210 vehicles passed through the Atal Tunnel, which is the highest since its inauguration.’ According to the report, about 9,600 vehicles had reached Atal Tunnel between 8 am and 4 pm on Monday.
Travelers and residents found themselves trapped in traffic gridlock at various points along the route from Manali to the Atal Tunnel, particularly in Solang and Dhundi. Similar congestion was observed in Sissu near Lahaul and Spiti.
Significant traffic congestion persisted in and around Manali on Monday as a multitude of tourists gathered to partake in Christmas and New Year celebrations. Upon reaching Manali, a substantial number of individuals headed towards Atal Tunnel, leading to congestion on this route. Lahaul and Spiti Police reported an unprecedented surge in traffic volume at Atal Tunnel over the past 24 hours.
Several residents raised concerns about the lack of police presence to regulate the traffic, attributing it to the substantial influx of tourists and inadequate traffic control measures. Traffic congestion extended to the roads leading to Tirthan and Parvati valleys. In both valleys, traffic jams occurred on sections that had sustained damage during the monsoon floods and had not yet undergone proper repairs.