Dharamsala, July 28 – Heavy monsoon rains have damaged roads in Dharamsala town in hilly Himachal Pradesh, causing hardships to the tourists.
Nestled in the Dhauladhar Himalayan ranges, Dharamsala, the home of Tibetan spiritual head the Dalai Lama, is famous for its scenic beauty.
The bitumen-topped roads crisscrossing the state cannot stand the rains as soil erosion and falling of boulders from the hillocks add to their wear and tear.
Tourists said they found it unsafe to drive on the potholed roads.
“The condition of the roads here is very bad. There are lots of potholes here. It seems they have not been repaired for the past ten years. It is unsafe, it is not a safe place to drive. That is why we came here by bus, because if we came by our vehicle, we wouldn’t have been able to drive,” said Manohar Shetty.
Foreign tourists too complained about the bad condition of roads. “There is too much water here…the streets have turned to waterfills.
It’s very dangerous for tourists as there are many bacteria in the water and people can go sick,” said Peter Weiss from Germany.
However, authorities said they were doing their best to maintain the roads.
“The maintenance of roads is being attended to. Funds are being provided under the non-plan head by the government for the maintenance of these roads. It is our utmost effort to keep the vehicles and transport working. In fact, last year, we spent about Rs 16.88 crores on the maintenance of roads in the zone,” said D.K. Sharma, chief engineer of state public works department.
Also known as Mini Lhasa, Dharamsala, with its large number of monasteries and a centre of Buddhist learning, attracts over 600,000 foreign tourists every year.
Tourism is the mainstay of the state’s economy. At least 100,000 tourists, both domestic and foreign, have visited Himachal Pradesh this season.
