Is Palampur braced up for the summer rush?

More often than not, spring – like all good things in life – is elusive, fleeting and fickle. This time a surprise spell of rain, hail and storm early in the first week of April proved even a bigger spoilsport. And now, the mercury is already hurrying to shoot up north.  Our plains have begun to sizzle under the unremitting, remorselessly hot sun. Heat waves will soon become the order of the day. The misery, hardship and even deaths caused by the soaring temperatures will hog the headlines. Most of the people will be forced to stay indoors in the cosy comfort of fans and ACs but power cuts and outages will only compound their summer woes. Therefore the citywallas with disposable incomes will start looking forward to making it to the cool hills of Himachal, Uttrakhand, J&K and other Himalayan regions. We will see a sudden influx of summer tourists in our own town Palampur too. Of course, Shimla, Manali, Dalhousie, Dharamsala/McLeodganj are more popular haunts but with traffic congestion, pollution, power and water shortages and other allied problems that afflict the most favoured resorts, a sizeable chunk of them does spill over to places like Palampur which, even otherwise, has its own unique attractions for the tourist.

But the point that I want to home in on is: are we - the administration, the authorities, the people in seats of power and responsibility, and even the citizenry – braced up for the summer rush? Have we made contingency plans and arrangements to handle the sudden increase in the traffic load? Have we made provisions – even if temporary – for enough parking lots for the vehicles that would bring in the tourists to avoid choking of our roads and open spaces…or whatever little is left of them? Have we geared up the traffic personnel to regulate the traffic with more alacrity and firmness without being rude to the visitors? Have we identified the hot spots these city-revellers would descend on to cool themselves? Neugal café and Saurabh Van Vihar will attract them in hordes. The Neugal khad will be the another favourite haunt where they will let their hair down, drink beer and colas and fruit juices , plunge themselves in the shallow pools of its refreshingly cool waters, eat snacks and leave behind  all kinds of plastics and tetra packs on its sandy banks(see the photos below, courtesy Dr R G Sud). Similarly, there are several invitingly shady, pine-studded patches of green abetting the Palampur-Nagri-Dharamsala road and lovely spots alongside the Neugal khud and small streams where picnickers - both local and from outside - love to frolic about, drink and eat. Have we made plans to have a task force – maybe of student-volunteers or unemployed youth to be deployed at such places to have the refuge and the leftovers removed? Or, have we thought of ways (hand bills for instance),  to politely instruct our guests (who are of course welcome) to please do enjoy and beat the heat any which way but don’t litter the places where you opt to unwind yourselves; please don’t park the vehicles anywhere you like but at the anointed spots only? And, have we thought of affixing (temporary) signboards at the favourite and vulnerable places with messages not to litter the area; to carry the leftovers back to their places of stay for their proper disposal? Have we roped in the local NGOs for their help and support in making this summer’s tourist season a thumping, resounding and a ‘green’ success?

I am sure with a little imagination, application of mind, the will to deliver, political support, team work, motivation and active participation of all the Palampurwallas, all this is quite doable. But will it indeed happen?  Well, your guess is as good as mine.

 Having rollicking fun in the Neugal's waters and banks...littering both! (The photo was clicked by Dr R G Sud from the Neugal  bridge on the Palmpur-Nagri road)

                                                     
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Road-digging yet again!

Can you believe it? While Palampur is exulting in the exuberance of spring right now, and the tourist season is approaching fast, some of the roads are being dug up yet again. The road from the SSB chowk towards Ghughar and also towards the Neugal café have been targeted to begin with and it seems it will extend further gradually. And the modus operandi is the same as before: no display boards to inform about the work, the contractor, duration, purpose etc. Forget about deploying some one  to regulate the traffic on the affected stretches. If the job prolongs for weeks, what a way to greet and welcome the tourist!

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Quotes of the week

Political parties should be made accountable for poll promises

                 - CJI, Justice J S Khehar (DH)

जब होगा तो पता चल जायेगा
                   - Sonia Gandhi on Rahul as Cong President (OneIndia)

In our films romance starts with eve-teasing

                - Maneka Gandhi (DH)

Polygamy is not a religious practice

                - Govt to the Supreme court (The Hindu)

I'm glad that women are speaking up

                 - Kangana Ranaut

  

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Random headlines

Large asteroid to buzz past Earth on April 19:NASA

                       (DH)

Samples suggest there is life in the Mariana Trench ( deepest part of the ocean)
                        (Daily Mail)

World's fattest woman halves her 78 st weight in just one month
                         (Daily Star)

Telengana, TN reel under severe heatwave
                         (DH)

Chattishgarh TV anchor reads out (and keeps her composure)  breaking news of her husband's death in car accident

                         (HT)
Two men repairing borewell buried alive
                         (DH)

New system alerts drivers to cows on road

                         (The Hindu)


Two billion people around the world drink contaminated water:WHO 
                         (HT)

Talking about depression is half the treatment done: doctors

                         (The Hindu)

Childhood cancer cases up by 13 per cent over two decades:WHO
                         (DH)

British women drink most when pregnant: survey
                         (DH)

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