Tourism industry of Himachal Pradesh is set to be severely affected with the latest order of the National Green Tribunal on movement of vehicles on the Rohtang Pass.
Just on the outset of rainy season when a large number of tourists from across the world drive on the highest road of the world crossing to the dream lands of lahul, Spiti, leh and ladakh another bombshell has been thrown by the NGT.
During the popularly known ‘foreigners season’ — the months of July, August and September — when the tribal valleys receive little rainfall, tourists from all over the world ascend to the enchanting tribal valleys, the Government ban at the dictate of the NGT has come like a bolt from the blue.
Complying with directions of the NGT, the district administration of Kulu has ordered that no petrol or diesel vehicles would be allowed to go to Rohtang Pass from August 17.
It may be recalled that vide its orders dated May 5, 2015, the NGT had allowed to go to Rohtang Pass only 1000 vehicles daily for three months from May 15 to August 14, 20015.
On the expiry of 3 months, the district administration of Kulu strictly banned passage of petrol and diesel vehicles to Rohtang Pass whereby the tourism industry, according to tourism experts from India and abroad, apprehend that the tourism industry of Manali, the queen of hills, is bound to finish.
People of the hill State, where the tourism industry is one of the big mainstays of its economy, are highly intrigued and upset by the decision of the NGT taken for the first time since independence.
The peak summer tourists season this year was sacrificed to the whims of NGT which imposed high charges on vehicles visiting Rohtang Pass forcing thousands of tourists from home and abroad to go back with bag and baggage carrying bitter memories with them and swearing not to come again to Himachal Pradesh, where they alleged, law of jungle prevailed.
The dictates of the NGT had already caused colossal loss to the petty poor tea-stall owners, small thatched dhabas and many others who had been eking out bare living from a sea of tourists who had been thronging to the snow-capped high altitude panoramic vales of the grand Himalayas since centuries.