During the long weekend associated with Gandhi Jayanti, as well as on weekends, a huge flow of tourists poured into the mountain regions, leading to serious organizational problems in several tourist towns. The situation in Nainital became critical: hotels, guesthouses, and homestays were fully occupied. Tourists wandered late into the night searching for accommodation, and those who could not find a place to stay had to spend the night at the bus station.
Long queues of vehicles formed on the routes from Shimla to Manali and Badrinath. The influx of about 12 thousand tourists to Nainital during the long weekend put significant pressure on the city's infrastructure. From early morning, the number of cars on the roads increased, and traffic jams formed over many kilometers from Bhawali to Kainti-Dham, Garampani, and Hairna.
Hotels, homestays, and guesthouses in Nainital were almost completely full. Around one o'clock at night, many tourists were seen on Mall Road looking for rooms with their luggage. Even after multiple attempts, if accommodation was not found, some visitors had to spend the night directly at the bus station. On Haldwani Road, Bhawali Road, and Kaladungi Road, movement was slow, and on Mall Road, Ju Road, and Sherwani Marg, the situation resembled a traffic jam. Nevertheless, high visitor flow was observed at popular tourist attractions such as Naini Lake, the zoo, Snow View, and Himalayan viewpoints.
A large number of tourists also arrived in Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, during the long weekend. The influx of tourists from Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, and Delhi increased pressure on the city's road network. Long queues were observed on many stretches from Taradevi to Shimla. The situation was so tense that covering a distance of three kilometers took people up to an hour. The city's main parking lots were overcrowded, making it difficult for tourists to find a place to park their cars.
According to Chandra Shekhar, the Traffic Police Superintendent of Shimla, more than 80 thousand vehicles circulate in the city weekly. In the last 24 hours alone, more than 17 thousand vehicles entered the city, of which more than 7 thousand belonged to tourists. An additional number of police officers was deployed to manage traffic.
Traffic problems also complicated the journey of pilgrims on the route to Badrinath. Long queues of transport formed within a radius of 7 to 9 kilometers from Joshimath to Vishnuprayag. Pilgrims heading to Badrinath Dham and Hemkund Sahib, as well as local residents and schoolchildren, were stuck in traffic. Travelers from Joshimath to Marwari now require 2 to 3 hours to cover a distance that previously took about half an hour. Many passengers note that they have to spend a long time on the road, which creates difficulties for women and the elderly in their vehicles. One of the main reasons cited for the congestion in this area is the untimely completion of road widening works.
The impact of the long weekend was also strongly felt on National Highway-5 between Kalka and Shimla. On Friday, queues of vehicles stood for several kilometers. A journey that usually takes three and a half to four hours stretched into many hours. The traffic jams caused inconvenience not only for tourists but also for local residents and emergency service vehicles.
The number of tourists also increased in Manali due to the holidays. Visitors arrive from different parts of the country. The rise in the number of tourist vehicles on the city's main streets affected traffic speed. The appeal of the high-altitude areas increased after the recent snowfall. Although the long weekend boosted tourism in the mountain regions, bringing relief to hotel, restaurant, and other business owners, the shortage of rooms in Nainital and the long traffic jams in Shimla and Badrinath highlighted the problem of growing tourist pressure on limited mountain infrastructure.