Dehradun / Mussoorie / Nainital / Almora: Increasing the level of air pollution in Delhi and surrounding areas forced the population of the National Capital Region (NCR) to go to the Uttarakhand Hill in the hope that they can breathe fresh air and minimize the risk of respiratory disease.
In the past few days, several cities in the state – especially those located in the hills – have witnessed a rush of visitors from NCR, said the people involved in the hospitality industry.
The quality of air in Delhi and the surrounding area has changed ‘severe’ due to the cumulative effects of firecrackers and burning stumps.
According to the ‘Sameer’ application of the central control board, the Delhi Air Quality Index (AQI) stands at 420, in the “Severe” category, at 6pm on Sundays.
In Uttarakhand, the level of Aqi in Dehradun and Mussoorie hovered around 90, which was considered ‘satisfying’.
Pelangi in places like Nainital, Mussoorie, Almora and even at smaller tourist destinations such as Bhimtal and Lansdowne said some guests had booked rooms for a week or more.
For example, the pelani in Mussoorie said a large number of tourists from Delhi had arrived before Diwali and spent two to four days here.
But now, many have extended their stay and choose a homestay located on the outskirts of the city.
“We reached Mussoorie on November 3 and will leave on Monday.
Because air quality in Delhi turned out to be bad during the Diwali period, we came here to breathe fresh air,” said Aniruddh Kumar, a tourist from Delhi.
Ajay Duggal, a resident of Paschim Vihar in Delhi, has reached Dehradun with his family after celebrating Diwali, and now plans to extend his stay for several days, until the air quality increases in Delhi.
“We bought a house in Dehradun in 2019 and stayed here every time we came to Uttarakhand, either on holidays or at the beginning of winter when air pollution rose in Delhi.
We came for a weekend but now planning to extend our stay day again, “said Duggal.
Tourists also reach Almora, Ranikhet, Marchula, Bageshwar and Mukteshwar in Nainital District, although small.
President of the Association of Hotels and Restaurants Uttarakhand, Sandeep Sahni, said, “Traditionally, people don’t dare in Diwali, but now we noticed that the trend changed.
At present, more and more people from Delhi visit Uttarakhand during the festival.
Important factors may be High level of pollution in Delhi during Diwali.
This year too, we witnessed burst in tourists from Delhi in places like Mussoorie, Nainital, Rishikesh and Ramnagar.
“(With input from Anmol Jain, Sonali Mishra & Pramod Dalakoti)