₹5,000 Fine Or 8-Day Jail For Not Wearing Mask In Manali Amid Tourist Rush
Pictures of overcrowded tourist spots went viral on social media, with some criticizing those violating the COVID norms during travel
Manali: COVID-19 awareness campaign has been launched in Manali as Himachal Pradesh is witnessing a huge influx of tourists following the easing of COVID restrictions by the State Government.
Starting from June, about 6-7 lakh tourists have visited the Himalayan state. An ANI report said that as the COVID-19 situation started improving in the state, tourists started visiting Shimla, Manali, Dharamsala, Dalhousie, Narkanda and other parts of the state.
Gurudev Sharma, SP Kullu said, “We have initiated this drive to make the tourists aware. Those not wearing masks can be punished with ₹5,000 in fine or 8 days in jail.”
Sharma further said, Police have recorded over 300 challans in the last 7-8 days and have recovered ₹3 lakh.
Pictures of overcrowded tourist spots went viral on social media, with some criticizing those violating the COVID norms during travel. Some said that if people continue to behave like this, the third wave may not go away.
Emphasizing that the pandemic is not over, officials described the images of people in large numbers at popular hill stations as “terrifying.”
Speaking to ANI earlier this week, Himachal Pradesh tourism department director Amit Kashyap said that after the government relaxed restrictions, the influx of tourists had increased. “Normally, we get over 130 million tourists, but since last year the pandemic has affected the tourism business,” he said.
Last year, Himachal received only 32 lakh tourists including foreigners. This year till May 31, the state received only 13 lakh tourists. “But now in June after the restrictions have been relaxed, we have received 6 to 7 Lakh tourists within this period,” Kashyap said.
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