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Residents, tourists struggle to find parking space in Nainital

Soon, tourists visiting Uttarakhand may have to pay �green tax�

Longer Visiting Hours at 10 Monuments

PM Modi encourages tourism, talks about Amarnath Yatra in Maan ki Baat

Residents, tourists struggle to find parking space in Nainital

Date: August 5, 2019: Nainital: Lack of parking lots has been a pressing issue in Nainital for about a decade now. However, little has been done to resolve the issue, primarily because of lack of space for construction of new parking spaces due to the lake town�s geographical and geological constraints. Consequently, the residents of town almost never find a suitable parking slot for their vehicles and park along roadside which often leads to traffic congestion/ the issue accentuates during tourist seasons when several tourist vehicles enter the town.

According to an estimate, around 4,000 tourist cars enter Nainital everyday during peak tourist season and the number swells up to 6,000 on weekends. However, the 12 public parking spaces available across the town offer a combined capacity to accommodate just about 2,000 four-wheelers which proves to be completely inadequate. �Absence of new parking spaces and a constant increase in the vehicular population of the town leads to parking woes throughout the town. The issue gets accentuated during tourist season. Ensuring transport facilities like shuttle services to tourist will help reduce the parking menace and traffic snarls,�� Sameer Sah, a local resident, told TOI.

In view of the limited parking space available in town, Uttarakhand high court, in April last year, had directed the local authorities to advertise prominently in at least four national newspapers and channels stating that those coming to Nainital with their own vehicles should first make advances arrangements for parking. Those seeking parking space in town have been given the facility to book a parking slot for their vehicles through an application. The charges for the same usually range from Rs 100 to Rs 200 bfor 24 hours.

Last year, city police and local administration had even put up banners saying � Nainital Housefull� to prevent entry of those tourist vehicle which didn�t go down well the traders� association which organised protests across the town against the police banners. Subsequently, the agitation was called off after a few days. However, it served to remind how acute the problem is.

Residents say that town �needs more infrastructure to accommodate the increasing number of vehicles.� � Lack of parking spaces is hurting business and thereby the town�s economy. Quick action is needed to address the issue,� Kamal Jagati, exexcutive member of Nainital hotel and restaurants� associationh, told TOI.

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Soon, tourists visiting Uttarakhand may have to pay �Green Tax�

Date:July 5, 2019: HARIDWAR: Whether it is pilgrims going on Char Dham Yatra, Adventure sports lovers or those planning gala wedding events with Himalayas as the backdrop- everyone may soon have to mandatorily pay �green tax� in Uttarakhand. The tax would be decided by the urban local body of the palace and revenue generated thus would be utilised for the area�s development and sustenance of eco-friendly practises.

The move comes after the Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board (UEPPCB) raised the matter of escalating pollution due to entry of tourists in the Himalayas state in a meeting with forest and environment minister Harak Singh Rawat. This came after the recent weddings of South Africa�s Gupta family at Auli which had generated tonnes of trash that took over a week to clear from the ecologically-fragile area.

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Longer Visiting Hours at 10 Monuments

Date: July 1, 2019: The Tourism and Culture Ministry has decided to keep ten monuments open across the country for longer hours. These include Rajarani Temple Complex (Bhubaneshwar), Dulhadeo Temple (Khajuraho), Sheikh Chilli Tomb (Kurukshetra), Safdarjung Tomb (Delhi), Humayun's Tomb (Delhi), Group of Monuments at Pattadakkal (Bhagalkot), Gol Gumbaz (Vijayapura), Group of Temples (Gadchiroli), Man Mahal (Varanasi), and Rani-Ki-Vav (Patan). The Union Culture and Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel stated that these heritage sites will be open for public from sunrise to 9 pm. The decision to extend visiting time has been taken for the public to enjoy the sites for more hours. At present, all the popular tourist spots are kept open till 5:30 pm.

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PM Modi encourages tourism, talks about Amarnath Yatra in Maan ki Baat

Date: July 28, 2019: NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday said that in order to see the beauty and understand people of the country, there can be no better teacher than tourism. During his radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat', Prime Minister Modi said, "I appeal to all to visit those tourist spots within our country whose scenic beauty is to be hold during the monsoon season.�

Speaking about Char Dham Yatra in Uttrakhand, Modi said, "I learned that in Uttarakhand, ever since Char Dham Yatra began this year, over 8 lakh devotees have visited Kedarnath Shrine in just one and a half month." "After 2013 natural calamity, people in such a record number visited Kedarnath for the first time," he added. "To see the beauty and understand people of the country there can be no better teacher than tourism," he said. Modi said, "In India monsoon is celebrated differently by different cultures. In this month pilgrims go for Kaanwad Yatra and Amarnath Yatra. While some people fast and wait for Janmasthami and Nag Panchmi festivals." "This time in Amarnath Yatra, the visit of pilgrims was more than the previous four years. Since July 1, till date over 3 lakh devotees have visited the sacred Amarnath Shrine," he said. The prime minister further said, "This year in just 28 days, the number of devotees who have undertaken the Amarnath Yatra is more than the entire Yatra period of 60 days in 2015." "I praise people of Jammu and Kashmir for their hospitality and making Amarnath Yatra successful. The Amarnath Yatra devotees are spellbound with the warmth and hospitality of the people of the state. This is very beneficial for the future of tourism in our country," he said.

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