Scenic stays, scarred roads

Hotels in Kasauli and Chail are witnessing high occupancy this summer, even as poor road conditions continue to draw the ire of tourists.

Excavation work to lay thick water pipes for a potable water scheme is underway on the Garkhal-Kasauli road. Heavy machinery stacked along the sides has reduced the road’s width, and the dug-up stretches have inconvenienced visitors. Hoteliers have expressed concern over the poor state of the roads, citing frequent complaints from guests.

The Dharampur-Sanawar road is in an equally pitiable condition following excavation by the Jal Shakti Department (JSD) for pipe-laying. Although the Public Works Department (PWD) is attempting to repair the road edges, the overall condition remains appalling, requiring a complete overhaul. The JSD had released Rs 1.58 crore to the PWD for excavation, but the funds are yet to be optimally utilised.

Meanwhile, hoteliers along the Kimmughat-Chakki link road, branching from the Garkhal-Kasauli road, await long-promised improvements. Despite Rs 1.62 crore funding from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in September last year for concretisation of the 16.38-km road, work is yet to commence. The lack of concrete surfacing has discouraged tourist use, though it remains a vital route for villagers traveling to Parwanoo and beyond.

Despite the infrastructural woes, hotels in Kasauli and Chail are registering 70-90 per cent occupancy, a figure expected to rise further as temperatures soar in the plains. Mid-sized hotels are also seeing a healthy number of walk-in guests, especially in Kasauli. “Several destination weddings are lined up till the end of the month, and we are seeing good occupancy, mainly from tourists from Delhi and Punjab,” said Rocky Chimni, vice-president, Kasauli Residents and Hoteliers Association.

In Chail, a similar trend prevails. “Weekend occupancy is touching 70-80 per cent, and we’re receiving enquiries from as far as Delhi and Noida for May,” said Devinder Verma, President, Chail Hoteliers Association. However, he lamented the poor state of the Kandaghat-Chail road, which remains unrepaired after winter. “Potholes are merely being filled with earth; even basic patchwork has not been undertaken despite April almost ending,” he added.

Himachal Tribune