Traffic Chaos in Himachal Pradesh: Tourist Crosses River in SUV to Beat Jam, Faces Police Action

Due to the influx of tourists heading to the state’s hill stations for the Christmas and New Year celebrations, there is severe traffic congestion on the state’s roads in Himachal Pradesh. A tourist discovered a clever way to avoid the traffic during this rush by driving across a river instead of using the roads.

In Lahaul Valley, the visitor was observed traversing the Chandra River in a Mahindra Thar SUV. Luckily, there wasn’t much water in the river; otherwise, the drive might have been disastrous. The residents have expressed disapproval of the video, which has received a lot of attention on social media.

The SUV’s driver has received a challan from the police.

A police official said that a video of a Thar crossing the Chandra River in District Lahaul Spiti went viral recently. The said vehicle has been issued a challan under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and the district police have deployed police personnel at the said place to ensure that no one commits such an offence in the future.

When the tourist drove his car into the river, there was a severe traffic jam in several locations along the Lahaul to Manali route.

Manali, a popular tourist destination in the Kullu district, is teeming with visitors who come to celebrate Christmas and see the snow in Lahaul Valley.

In the last three days, about 55,000 cars have passed through the Atal tunnel in Rohtang, which connects Kullu, Lahaul, and Spiti, according to officials. Numerous videos of a long line of cars on the road have gone viral on social media.

Although the tourism industry benefits from the influx of visitors, administration finds it difficult to manage them. The fragile and naturally disaster-prone region’s ecology may be severely impacted by the influx as well