Dehradun: Hardly had the snow settled in Mussoorie and its adjoining areas when in a few hours, thousands of tourists in cars and bikes have managed to clog the 33 km road to the hill-station.
It began yesterday early morning even as the first flake danced to the ground and over thousand vehicles snaked their way to this colonial-era hill station. Folks carrying babies as little as one year olds to people in their late seventies – came in droves, all charged up to get a feel of the ‘Real Thing!’
Tipping point or carrying capacity arrived around four p.m. when the local administration had to step in for the safety of visitors by curtailing entry at Kothal Gate. Elsewhere too, on numerous occasions, this strategy of limiting entry has worked very well.
SHO Mussoorie Bhavna Kainthola has had a busy day on her hands. She and her team worked late into the morning, unclogging roads and by-lanes through the length and breadth of the town. Talking to Newspost she said: “Thus far there have been no untoward incident. We pray that all visitors go return home safely. Perhaps we might need to arm the force with spades someday to clear roads,” she added on a lighter note.
As for local residents, the enthusiasm of tourists to ensure their vehicle goes where angels will fear to tread is fraught with danger. Nikhil Agarwal tells us: “There are cars stranded all over town. It’s pure mayhem. Tourists refuse to walk and enjoy themselves. They insist on driving and have no clue how dangerous it is for all concerned.
It’s vehicles, inching bumper to bumper late into the night from and to Mussoorie which are modern day curse. The waltz of the snowflakes is once in a lifetime experience but it comes with its own peril and dangers for those who refuse to dance in harmony with the forces of nature.
