The weather in India has only just begun to improve. Since the past couple of weeks, many parts of the country have been plagued with bad weather and rain. So much so, that it has led to flooding and landslides in many regions. Regions in North India like Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have been most adversely affected. Recurring landslides led to the temporary closing of the Kalka-Shimla Highway. This has had a huge impact on the tourism industry of the region.
Kalka-Shimla Highway Closed; Tourism Industry Impacted Badly
Owing to the weather conditions, there have been recurring landslides close to the Chakki Mod area in the Solan district, the Kalka-Shimla highway has been shut for the fifth consecutive day on Saturday. This highway is extremely critical for states like Himachal Pradesh.
This has led to an extremely adverse effect on the tourism industry in Shimla. Even the Northern railway service has been impacted. After briefly shutting down due to heavy rains between the 9th and 11th of July, the rails opened on the 6th of August.
But they again shut because of the recent landslides. It is said to reopen on the 26th of August. The lack of adequate transportation options means that the tourism industry in the region has been significantly impacted.
Also Read: Uttarakhand: Part Of Gairsain-Karnaprayag Highway Washed Away, People Stranded; Orange Alert Issued
Hoteliers Struggle To Pay Salary
According to an article by Hindustan Times, many hoteliers are finding it difficult to pay salaries or bills as they are operating on just one per cent occupancy. At this time of the year, they usually operate on around 40 per cent occupancy.
They blame the shoddy roadwork by the National Highways Authority of India. They allege that the NHAI did not follow guidelines and therefore, the roads were so easily destroyed.
However, the NHAI states that this is not the case. It says that the reason tourism has suffered is because people are fearing the weather and keep away for safety. It also said that the officials followed all the guidelines and the quality of roads was not an issue.
Also Read: Chandigarh-Manali National Highway Are Shut For 2 Days; Trains On Kalka-Shimla Line Suspended
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