Amid tourist influx, Munnar hill station witnesses hours-long traffic chaos
The hill station has been witnessing an influx of tourists after the Pahalgam terrorist attack prompted tourists to look for alternative spots, such as Kerala, and the implementation of e-pass regulations by Tamil Nadu for entry to Ooty and Kodaikanal. Munnar-Devikulam, Old Munnar Road, Ekka Nagar, and Munnar-Mattuppetty routes witnessed hours-long traffic blocks for the past several days, said various stakeholders in the tourism sector.
'A small traffic block in Munnar was expected considering the vacation time. But the problem was finding parking slots by the roadside, especially at scenic spots where tourists often get down to take pictures. I believe this issue was primarily due to the presence of many heavy vehicles, particularly buses,' said Arun Gorge, a recent visitor to the hill station.
G. Sojan, coordinator of My Munnar Movement, an initiative to encourage tourism activities in Munnar, said that in April and May, there was heavy tourist footfall on all days. 'However, tourists were complaining that the traffic surge was causing mental and physical stress. Also, the authorities failed to take steps to address the serious issue,' said Mr. Sojan.
District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) secretary Jitheeh Jose said that all tourism destinations in the district witnessed a heavy flow of tourists in May. 'Traffic block is a major concern in Munnar hill station. The district administration is taking the issue seriously,' said the official.
According to Tourism department officials, the traffic issue was also raised before Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who recently conducted a meeting at Nedumkandam as part of the fourth anniversary of the State government. Mr. Vijayan said that the government will intervene on the issue. ' District Collector V. Vigneshwari is exploring the possibility of parallel roads in Munnar to connect major tourism destinations,' said a tourism department official.
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