Month: December 2020

People from across the country will get access to the snow-bound tribal Lahaul valley in the winter season for the first time as the government has decided to keep the valley open for tourists even after snowfall. Tribal development minister Ram Lal Markanda, after holding a meeting with the officials of Lahaul, said there will be no restriction on tourist inflow to Lahaul valley in clear weather. He said outsiders, for the first time, will get to experience the winters of this tribal belt which used to be cut off from the rest parts of the world after the snowfall. He said the road to the valley via Atal tunnel will be kept clear of snow. He said tourism infrastructure in the valley will be developed on a war footing so that tourists get all basic facilities. “Tourist footfall in the valley has increased suddenly after the opening of the Atal tunnel. There will be no restriction on the movement of tourists if the weather is clear. We shall organise skiing, a winter carnival, and other winter events to attract more tourists this season. Meanwhile, we need to develop our infrastructure to meet the demand of the growing tourism,” Markanda said. He said a Yatri Niwas at Sissu, adequate parking at Keylong, a large bus stand, parking, and cafeteria at Trilokinath will be built very soon. He said parking spaces, dustbins, waste management facilities, viewpoints, parks, tourism activities, exploration of new destinations, and organising cultural events for tourists are proposed. Lahaul-Spiti, popularly known as the cold deserts of Himachal, gets very heavy snowfall from November to March. The area is coldest in the state with minimum temperature at some places plunges below minus 25. Visiting Lahaul valley in the winter season was impossible until recently when the Atal tunnel connected