Do you yearn for Rohtang? Grab a pass—1.2K are offered every day

Today, the 13,058-foot-tall Rohtang Pass, a well-known tourist destination, opened to the public. The district administration has allowed traffic on the Manali-Rohtang route up to the Rohtang Pass, per the Manali SDM’s proposal.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered that only 800 gasoline and 400 diesel cars per day are permitted to pass over the Gulaba barrier and reach the Rohtang Pass in order to save the area’s delicate environment. The Rs 550 price, which includes congestion charges, may be paid online to get permits. On November 27 of last year, all vehicular movement was prohibited beyond Gulaba. Starting on April 10, traffic was permitted to Gulaba and, starting on May 16, to Marhi. Last year, visitors were permitted to drive up to the Rohtang Pass starting on June 13 and to Marhi after May 18.

The route to Rohtang Pass will open, which will increase Manali’s tourist industry. The Rohtang Pass is a popular tourist destination since snowfall occurs there from September until its closure.

Only 1,200 cars are permitted to pass over the Rohtang Pass each day during the busiest travel season, down from around 5,000 vehicles prior to the NGT edict.

The Him Anchal Taxi Operators Union, Manali, submitted a petition in April of last year asking the NGT to increase the number of cars permitted to the Rohtang Pass. The NGT responded that the area’s carrying capacity did not permit traffic in such numbers.

However, others involved in the tourist sector claim that the restriction on the number of cars prevents many travelers from seeing the well-known Rohtang Pass. They continue by saying that limiting permissions has resulted in high prices and black selling.

“Now that most heavy vehicles to and from Lahaul pass through the Atal Tunnel, the government should approach the NGT to raise the number of vehicles towards the Rohtang Pass,” said Puran, a benefactor of tourism.

But most visitors to Manali now go to the Lahaul valley to experience the snow in Sissu and Koksar, after the Atal Tunnel opened in October 2020. The 9.02-km Atal Tunnel is strategically significant; in two years, from January 2022 to December 2023, almost 25.76 lakh vehicles traveled through it.

The Lahaul valley is seeing a sharp rise in the number of visitors. Concerns about the valley’s and the tunnel’s carrying capacity have been raised by this. An eleven-person group was recently established by the state administration to work toward preserving the environment of the Lahaul region.