As North India sizzles under a severe heat wave, there is an increase in the number of people from the region trying to find comfort in places with better weather. Many of them are finding refuge in the hill stations in the Himalayan states to get away from the punishing summer heat.
A video has gone viral on social media showing what appears to be a large number of vehicles carrying tourists to Ladakh. In the video, hundreds of vehicles can be seen slowly moving through the snow-covered mountain pass.
"Way to Ladakh waiting line is long," read the caption of the video, widely shared on social media.
Many social media users were left shocked by the sheer number of vehicles and tourists coming to Ladakh. Some suggested that the authorities should introduce a pass-based system to limit the number of tourists visiting such a fragile place.
Also read: Why Are Thousands Of People Protesting In Ladakh In Freezing Temperatures
"Himachal, Uttarakhand, and Ladakh are now exploited fully in the name of tourism. Needs some sensible controls before the places are ruined permanently," a social media user wrote.
"Over-tourism will finish the mountains. People don’t learn from the past, what happened in Himachal floods last year," another user said.
Another user suggested that "all these people should be trained in Bengaluru traffic for 3 months before they visit there."
Also read: Outrage Over Video Showing 'Irresponsible' Tourists Taking SUV For A Spin Around Lakes In Ladakh
The increase in tourism activity in Ladakh in recent years has raised concerns among locals and environmentalists who fear that the mountains are not capable of accommodating such an influx of visitors. According to available data, Ladakh used to see around 400 to 500 tourists a year in 1974, when it first opened for tourism. This has now exploded to around 6 to 7 lakh tourists in 2023.
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