Amid heatwave, tourist influx to Manali triggers severe traffic congestion, vehicles crawl for hours

MANALI: Amid an intense heatwave sweeping several parts of country, a surge of tourists heading to Himachal Pradesh’s hill station Manali led to severe traffic congestion on Saturday night, with commuters stranded for hours as movement slowed sharply on key routes.

According to news agency ANI, the sudden weekend rush caused long snarls in and around the popular tourist destination, with vehicles inching forward late into the night.



A tourist caught in the jam described the ordeal, saying, "We have been stuck here for one hour. We are having a lot of trouble; we are moving forward very slowly. Traffic should be controlled."

The heavy congestion led to significant inconvenience for travellers, many of whom were seen stuck in long queues of vehicles as they attempted to reach or exit the hill town during peak tourist flow.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), heatwave conditions are likely to continue across large parts of northwest, central and eastern India. Severe heatwave conditions are expected in East Uttar Pradesh and East Madhya Pradesh between May 22 and May 28.

The weather department has also predicted heatwave conditions in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi during the same period, with severe heatwave spells likely from May 24 to May 27. Rajasthan is expected to remain under intense heat, while West Rajasthan may witness severe heatwave conditions between May 24 and May 28.

Heatwave conditions are also likely in several other regions, including Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Telangana, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and parts of the Himalayan states on different days during the week.