Incomplete roads are a bane for tourism industry in upper Dharamsala

Monday, July 12, 2021

Incomplete roads are a bane for the tourism industry in upper Dharamsala, which includes McLeodganj, Bhagsunag, Naddi and Dharamkot. These areas are the epicenter of tourism in Dharamsala. However, with the onset of tourism season, these places are witnessing traffic jams extending for hours.

“Every year, tourists coming to McLeodganj return dejected due to traffic jams but neither the government nor the local authorities have taken any steps to improve the infrastructure in the area,” said Sanjeev Rana, a hotelier from Dharamsala.

Locals and hoteliers in McLeodganj have complained that many roads have been awaiting completion for the past 40 years. These include the stretch connecting Bhagsunag with Indrunag, a proposed stretch to connect Dharamkot with Naddi, and also one connecting Bhagsunag with the Jogibara road.

In Dharamsala, particularly upper Dharamsala, consecutive governments could not develop basic infrastructure in the last 40 years, when tourism improved in the region due to disturbances in J&K.

The iconic McLeodganj square, which opens to seven roads, could not even take the load of 10 vehicles coming from various directions. There is only one narrow road leading to the famous Bhagsu temple and spring waters. There is also no parking available for even 50 cars at Bhagsunag. During weekends, more than 1,000 cars reach upper Dharamsala, creating traffic jams.

Dharamsala Mayor Onkar Nehria said that the work on all these road projects would commence soon.

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