Friday, 03 June 2022 | PNS | Rishikesh
With lakhs arriving in the State for the Char Dham Yatra, the people in Rishikesh are facing various problems. The pilgrims officially depart from Rishikesh on the Yatra. However, local residents and members of the business fraternity not connected to tourism state that overcrowding and major traffic congestion are causing major disruption in routine life here. Due to the increasing number of visitors, the tourists themselves, as well people in the tourism business are also dealing with inconvenience.
A local resident of Rishikesh, Mukund Upadhyay asserted, “Before the Yatra started the weekend traffic was bad, but now the situation has worsened. Despite knowing that this city is thronged, the number of visitors is nowhere close to decreasing.” Referring to some activities of visitors he said, “Some tourists are not at all concerned about the dignity of this spiritual place, consuming alcohol and non-vegetarian food near the banks of the Ganga is not an uncommon activity.”
A yoga practitioner from Mumbai, Aakriti Tripathi, lodging in Tapovan says, “I came to Rishikesh in January to find peace and spiritual awakening, but the whole peaceful and serene environment of Rishikesh is getting affected because of tourism. It has become very difficult to find a place where you can peacefully meditate.”
The Haridwar Road and Lakshman Jhula Road have become congested due to traffic. A local driver claimed, “It took me almost two hours to cover a distance of three kilometres. In this scorching heat, it is becoming extremely difficult to sit inside the vehicle for so long.”
