Tourist hotspots grapple with overcrowding, water scarcity

With tourists giving a go-by to Kashmir after the terror attack, most popular hill stations in Himachal are buckling under pressure of traffic congestion, water scarcity and strained civic amenities.

With tourism sector being a major employment generation sector, contributing to the economy, it is high time that the state government undertakes carrying capacity studies of at least the popular hill towns like Shimla, Kullu-Manali, Dharamsala-McLeodganj, Kasauli-Chail and Chamba-Dalhousie. The concept of sustainable tourism remains confined to workshops, conferences and presentations, with little change on ground.

What is even more unfortunate is that despite carrying capacity of Manali and McLeodganj being undertaken by an expert committee in 2018 on the directives of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) there has been little follow up. Similarly, a study to assess the effect on environment and ecology due to the coming up of big hotel projects and other activities in Kasauli town was undertaken by a Special Expert Committee on the directives of NGT on a plea filed by Society for Preservation of Kasauli and its Environs (SPOKE).

Despite these studies by experts from reputed institutes, hardly any lessons have been learnt as most towns have turned into concrete jungles. The recommendations of these studies were submitted before the NGT but hardly any follow up action, thereof.

The huge tourist influx into Lahaul Spiti, following the throwing open of the Atal Tunnel in October 2020, has posed the threat of ecological degradation in the fragile hill ecology of Lahaul Spiti, especially Sissu. Sissu, which has now become accessible within half an hour drive from Manali through Atal tunnel, is the latest example of unregulated influx of tourists turning pristine glades into a chaotic markets like Manali.

The tourism stakeholders of Lahaul have been demanding a carrying capacity analysis to check unsustainable growth with focus on short term profits, which could ruin the fragile hill ecology. “The increase of traffic to Lahaul has increased manifold, making it the latest hotspot so there is an urgent need to promote sustainable tourism before it is too late,” emphasises Vikram Katoch, a tourism stakeholder from Lahaul.

With issues like traffic congestion, water shortage, inadequate garbage disposal and haphazard construction activity, especially hotels, guest houses and home stays plaguing most town, the urgent need for restricting tourist inflow into the state is being felt more than ever before.

“It is high time that the state government puts into place restrictions on the number of tourist entering any particular area, subject to its carrying capacity,” says BS Malhans, a writer and an artist. It is a nightmare for both the visitors as well as locals to spend almost two hours to traverse just three km to enter towns like Shimla and Manali, he asserts.

With Supreme Court, National Green Tribunal and Himachal High Court coming down heavily on various government agencies for their failure to check unregulated construction activity, little change has been seen. Construction norms are being given a go-by as humungous concrete structures are being raised in once pristine places like Sangla Valley in Kinnaur, Barot in Mandi and Kasol in Kullu district.

Himachal Tribune