Tourism Industry In Himachal Pradesh Suffers As Landslides Cause Damage

Incessant rainfall and thunderstorms have unleashed havoc in northern India, leading to severe flooding and landslides. Himachal Pradesh, particularly areas like Manali and Shimla, has been significantly affected by cloudbursts and landslides, causing extensive damage. The region’s tourism industry is now grappling with a major setback, as road connectivity has been severely disrupted, posing significant challenges for local businesses. According to Rajinder Singh Thakur, a hotelier who recently shared his concerns in an interview with ANI, there is a staggering 100 per cent loss in the tourism business.“There is 100per cent loss to the tourism business. I run hotels in Shimla, Manali and Kasauli. In most places, there is no road connectivity due to floods and rains. Those tourists are in a state of fear. This is another jolt to our tourism business after Covid,” said the hotelier.

Even tourists expressed their fears as one of them told the news agency about his dreadful experience after the Shrikhand Mahadev yatra was halted. “We had gone on the pilgrimage to Shrikhand Mahadev…It was raining heavily and the roads were washed away,” said Tushar, a tourist from Maharashtra. Another tourist expressed his relief at returning home after being stuck in Lahaul-Spiti for four days. “It was a bit scary…We are feeling happy as we will be going home”, said Karthik, another tourist from Maharashtra.

It has been reported that the torrential rainfall has resulted in the death of at least 91 people. These deaths have been recorded between June 24 to July 13. BJP National President JP Nadda and Union Minister Anurag Thakur recently visited the flood-affected areas in the Mandi district. They assured people that relief and rehabilitation shall be provided by the government. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also conducted an aerial survey of the flood-stricken areas and met some of the affected victims in the Kinnaur district.

According to another report, nearly 500 animals have lost their lives because of excessive rains. There have been around 51 landslides and 32 incidents of flash floods. These floods have resulted in a monetary loss of more than Rs 3000 crore.