Video of a man driving through river in Himachal to avoid traffic goes viral!

We all are aware of Himachal’s current traffic situation. With Christmas and New Year celebrations, the hill stations of Himachal are jam packed with merrymakers and tourists. However, a man did something unthinkable to avoid long hours of traffic and reach his destination which is Lahaul and Spiti.

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On Monday, a traveller drove his SUV across the Chandra River to beat the traffic. In no time, his video of driving the vehicle in the middle of the river went viral on social media. But soon, Himachal Pradesh Police took action against him after watching the video.

Mayank Chaudhry, the superintendent of police, said that the vehicle in question violated the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and hence, they issued a challan to the driver. To prevent such offences in the future, the district police deployed personnel to monitor the region where the incident took place.

#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh: Challan issued after a video of driving a Thar in Chandra River of Lahaul and Spiti went viral on social media.

SP Mayank Chaudhry said, "Recently, a video went viral in which a Thar is crossing the river Chandra in District Lahaul Spiti. The said… pic.twitter.com/V0a4J1sgxv

— ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2023

The huge number of tourists arriving in the hill station for Christmas and New Year celebrations has created a significant traffic congestion in the state. Amidst all the rush, an owner of a Mahindra Thar thought of a creative approach to avoid the traffic jams by driving the SUV across the river.

Fortunately, the level of the water was relatively low, facilitating the SUV's passage without significant challenges. However, the video did not go down well and locals highly disapproved of the act once it began circulating.

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Meanwhile, popular roads connecting various tourist destinations in Himachal Pradesh are also under the burden of severe traffic congestion due to the substantial influx of tourists for the holiday season.

In Lahaul and Spiti district, police used drone surveillance to monitor the traffic situation. The footage revealed long lines of vehicles clogging the roads, with inadequate space for parking facilities.


Amidst the traffic chaos, some individuals engaged in risky car stunts, causing disturbances. A viral video showcased a man driving his car with its doors open, hanging precariously from one of the doors. The police in Kullu responded by taking action against the driver, imposing a fine of INR 3500.

This is not the first time that the hill station is suffering from such bad traffic conditions. During most of the festivals and holidays, the traffic gets worse on these roads because of the tourists.