With the opening of the new Rohtang tunnel, the tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal Pradesh is all set to experience tourism boost in the region in December this year. The Himachal Pradesh government and its tourism department are gearing up for this boost. A Tourism Infrastructure Sustainable Development Plan for the district has been prepared by the state tourism department. This plan includes the provision of igloo-cum-glamping stays and a couple of allied activities for the tourists at Sisu village in Lahaul.

Tourism in the valley

Lahaul and Spiti are two isolated Himalayan valleys of Himachal Pradesh that lie on the Indo-Tibet border. It is spread over an area of 13,833 sq km and is one of the popular tourist destinations of the country. In the last two decades, tourism has caught up fast in the valley that captivates the adventure enthusiasts to visit here as it houses the best treks and ski areas. It consists of historic temples and monasteries, lakes, glaciers, mountain peaks, and trekking routes. The landscape of Spiti is similar to that of Tibet and is called 'Little Tibet'.

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World's longest motorable tunnel

The Rohtang Pass highway tunnel in the Himalayas of Himachal Pradesh is an 8.8-km long horseshoe-shaped tunnel. The construction of this motorway is one of the most challenging tasks as it is world's longest motorable tunnel situated 3,000 meters above sea level, under the 3,978-metre Rohtang Pass in the Pir Panjal range and has 45 avalanche-prone spots and aims to provide all-season connectivity to the landlocked Lahaul Valley from the picturesque resort town of Manali.

The construction of the tunnel is likely to be completed by the end of this year. The tunnel even has self-escape snow galleries that have been designed for the safety of motorists. The length of the gallery varies from 40 meters to 130 meters and would be constructed before the tunnel completion. The most ambitious and expensive undertaking of its kind, the excavation of the tunnel was completed in October 2017.

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Hardship faced by Tourists

Earlier this year, around 2,000 tourists were stuck in different parts of the tribal district Lahaul-Spiti. The reason being the heavy rains in the region that damaged the Manali-Leh highway and Gramphu-Kaza road at several places. The rivulets flowing on the way to these highways were flooded, hampering traffic movement completely. Due to heavy flooding in the Teling nullah region, a large number of tourists were reportedly stuck at Koksar and Sissu.

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Moreover, 400 vehicles were stuck on the way between Koksar and Sissu. Around 150 tourists were rescued by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) from the area and transported to safer places. Some tourists were stranded between Jispa and Darcha in Lahaul Spiti, waiting desperately for the road to open to move to their respective destinations. The telecommunication services are erratic in the region adding to the woes of tourists and locals alike.

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