Eight tourists from Delhi dancing inside Atal tunnel after stopping their car have been arrested by Kullu police on Thursday evening. Tourists have continued to flout traffic rules in the tunnel having strategic significance. The 9.02km long tunnel has become the main tourist attraction since its inauguration on October 3 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The tourist rush has increased ahead of Christmas and New Year. So has increased the number of miscreants. Kullu superintendent of police Gaurav Singh told the media, “Tourists have been booked under relevant sections of the law and have been arrested. The vehicle of the tourist that they had stopped in tunnel has also been impounded. Some other tourists, who were present on the spot after stopping their vehicles, are also being questioned. They will also face legal action.” While the vehicle was wearing a registration number from Delhi, names and addresses of the accused were not disclosed by the police as the matter was under investigation. Police said addresses and names are being verified. However, the SP said more tourists are likely to be arrested. Police were taking the matter seriously as it belonged to national security for the tunnel being a major link between Manali and Ladakh. Himachal government has imposed a strict ban on stopping vehicles and stepping out of the vehicles inside the tunnel for security reasons. Some tourists had reportedly created traffic chaos inside the tunnel on Thursday. They started dancing to the loud music. Many other tourists gathered there and some also joined them. The traffic inside the tunnel is being managed by Kullu police while traffic in its north portal is managed by Lahaul-Spiti police. Cops were collecting more evidence through videos made by local drivers and security cameras installed inside the tunnel. Similar incidents had come to
Eight tourists from Delhi dancing inside Atal tunnel after stopping their car have been arrested by Kullu police on Thursday evening. Tourists have continued to flout traffic rules in the tunnel having strategic significance. The 9.02km long tunnel has become the main tourist attraction since its inauguration on October 3 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
As Atal tunnel, Rohtang, the longest tunnel in the world above altitude of 3,000m, is expected to be a major tourist attraction of Himachal, the chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said this tunnel will start a concept of "tunnel tourism" for the first time in the country. The infrastructure is being developed at both portals of the tunnel where tourism activities will be available for the tourists. The government is further planning to start different tourism activities here to attract more tourists. Government has also planned to run glass top vistadome buses on this route especially for the tourists. “Atal tunnel will open door to tunnel tourism which will be a new concept of tourism in the country. Both the portals of the tunnel will be developed on tourism point of view. People will come to see this engineering marvel at this altitude. Also, the approach road to the tunnel is full of scenery that offers view of snow-capped mountains, glaciers, towering peaks and glacial-fed rivers. The tunnel will also open doors to flourishing tourism in the Lahaul valley,” the CM said. He said that originally the tunnel was designed 8.8km in length but the resh GPS readings after completion of the work showed that it was 9.02km-long. “This tunnel will be credited as world’s longest motorable tunnel at altitude of 3,000m. This tunnel is also a result of friendship of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Tashi Dawa, a resident of Tholang village of Lahaul. As both wanted to find an alternate to lengthy and dangerous travel across Rohtang pass, the idea of the tunnel was conceived long back. Finally, work on approach road begun in 2002 and work on tunnel began in 2010,” he added. Expedite work to give final touch to Atal tunnel for inauguration by
As Atal tunnel, Rohtang, the longest tunnel in the world above altitude of 3,000m, is expected to be a major tourist attraction of Himachal, the chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said this tunnel will start a concept of “tunnel tourism” for the first time in the country. The infrastructure is being developed at both portals
