Kasauli overcrowded with tourists, penalty for those non-complying with COVID-19 protocols

Despite multiple expert warnings about the possibility of a third wave of COVID-19, huge number of visitors have arrived in Kasauli to recover from the lockdown blues. Huge throngs flocked to the renowned tourist site in Himachal Pradesh after COVID-19 regulations were relaxed, causing traffic jams and congestion. Locals are optimistic about the future of their enterprises, which have suffered losses as a result of the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.

According to Satish Kumar, a junior engineer in Kasauli, it is particularly congested on weekends, and the police are very active in issuing penalties to persons who violate COVID-19 standards. "During the weekend, the number of tourists in Kasauli is double. It is very busy from Friday to Sunday. From Sunday to Thursday it is quieter. The police are quite active and are issuing challans to all tourists who are not following mask protocol. People are slowly recovering from the financial losses they suffered during the lockdown," he said. Since the devastating second wave peaked in May, COVID-19 instances have been declining. According to the state health agency, 180 new cases have been registered in the last 24 hours.

Tourists have been flocking to the hills in recent weeks as the scorching has scorched the plains and the second wave of COVID-19 has seen a major drop in the country. Tourists in vacation spots were found to be in flagrant violation of COVID-19 standards. In Dharamshala, few people wore masks, and social distance was thrown out the window. Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Jairam Thakur appealed to tourists on Friday, July 9 to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines. He went on to add, "We need to save the tourism industry also. I held a virtual meeting with districts officials and directed them to monitor and regulate the crowd. COVID19 is not over yet. Hotels are being asked to follow SOPs."

In tourist hotspots including Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, Rohtang Tunnel, Kasauli, and Dalhousie, the Himachal Pradesh Police has deployed an extra dedicated squad to enforce COVID19 acceptable behaviour.

Penalty imposed for violation of COVID-19 norms

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 added, Police have recorded over 300 challans in the last 7-8 days and have recovered ₹3 lakh.

The Union Health Ministry warned earlier last week that if COVID-19 protocols are not followed, limitations will be imposed again. Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said at a press conference that persons travelling to hill stations were not behaving in a COVID-19 appropriate manner. "We can nullify the ease in restrictions again if protocols not complied with," he said.

The Health Ministry stated that excessive violations of COVID-19 proper behaviour can undo the benefits made thus far, referring to the large footfall of people in hill stations. Images of congested tourist attractions went viral on social media, with some criticising people who broke COVID-19 rules while travelling. Some speculated that if people continued to act in this manner, the third wave might not be far behind.

In an interview with ANI earlier this week, Himachal Pradesh Tourism Department Director Amit Kashyap said that after the government had eased the restrictions, the tourist inflow had picked up. "Generally, we receive over 1.3 crore tourists but the pandemic since the last year hit the tourism business," he said. Stressing that the pandemic was not yet over, officials described the images of large numbers of people thronging popular hill stations as "frightening".