Nainital witnesses tourists rush despite Covid threat; police intensify checking

12 Jul , 2021 By : Kanchan Joshi

The Uttarakhand government ordered Nainital police to intensify checking as the city witnesses a massive tourist influx during the weekends.

Besides, the Uttarakhand newly appointed chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also ordered 50% occupancy capping in hotels of Nainital, Mussoorie, Dehradun, other tourist spots.

Over 10,000 tourists reached Nainital on Sunday, but the police permitted entry of only those tourists who were carrying the negative Covid-19 test report and proof of hotel bookings.

Recently, Nainital's District Magistrate Dhiraj Singh Garbyal had also announced new rules to ensure that the Covid norms are strictly followed by all tourists.

As per the DM's order, tourists coming to Nainital will have to register on the Smart City Portal and a negative Covid test report not older than 72 hours. Apart from this, tourists will have to show the booking of the hotel. Only then will tourists be allowed to enter Nainital.

Police officials in Nainital said the entry of tourists to the lake city during the daytime on weekends has been banned. However, there is no restriction on tourists staying in hotels.

Tourists have been thronging hill stations as the heatwave has hit the plains and the second wave of Covid-19 seeing a significant decline in the country, although the gross violation of Covid appropriate behaviour by the visitors is being accounted for in many places.

Tourists are arriving in large numbers over the past few days at major tourists spots like Mussoorie, Kempty Fall, Nainital, Haridwar and Rishikesh.

In Mussoorie, tourists are being stopped at Kuthal Gate on the way to check if they are registered on the smart city portal and have a negative Covid test report with them.

Recorded messages asking people to adopt Covid appropriate behaviour are being played in Mussoorie all day.

People violating the norms are also being fined. Last week, the Uttarakhand government has allowed only 50 visitors at the waterfall and they can only stay there for not more than 30 minutes. The move came after a video of tourists flouting the Covid norms in Mussoorie's Kempty Falls went viral.