The tourist surge is a major cause for concern for the hill states (File)
Work From Home, which has become the new normal amid the coronavirus pandemic, has turned into "Work From Himachal Pradesh", said the state's Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu as thousands flocked to the hill state to escape the confines of their homes and the heat.
While the state's economy is seeing a welcome uptick, the crowds, not just in popular destinations like Shimla and Manali but also in lesser-known towns such as Naggar and Jibhi, are a cause of major concern, Mr Kundu said, urging tourists to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour.
The tourist surge has added another layer of responsibility on the police, who have put up checkpoints at various entry and exit points to ensure Covid rules are being followed.
"With the prolonged Work From Home (WFH) culture being adopted by many companies and multinationals, we are seeing that it has almost turned out to be Work From Himachal Pradesh," Mr Kundu told news agency PTI.
The sudden tourism boom is good for the economy of the state, he said. "But at the same time, we have to remain vigilant that people are following guidelines like wearing masks and maintaining social distance," he added.
"We are ready to welcome everyone to Himachal Pradesh but please follow all the guidelines," the 1989 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer said, voicing concern about the spread of the virus in the state.
As the pandemic erupted last year, India went into a complete lockdown in March to curb the spread and gradually opened up. Since then, the law enforcement authorities have collected over Rs 5 crore in fines from tourists and others for violating Covid rules.
As images of long, meandering queues of cars waiting to enter Shimla and throngs of people in Manali made national headlines, Mr Kundu said the Atal Tunnel at Rohtang Pass has been the most frequented tourist spot this month with 47,000 vehicles passing through.
The highest number was recorded on July 4 when 7,384 vehicles passed through the tunnel to Lahul valley. The nine-kilometre tunnel was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October last year.
After the need for a mandatory e-pass and an RTPCR test was waived by the government on June 14, about 18,500 vehicles have been entering the state every day, he said.
"Around Rs 40 lakh has been collected in fines from visitors in the last two weeks for violating the rules set for preventing the spread of pandemic in the state," he said.
There have been some ugly scenes when tourists have misbehaved with police officers after being fined. "We welcome everyone in Himachal Pradesh who follows the rules. The fines are more advisory in nature and it is for the people to adopt Covid-appropriate behaviour for their own safety," Mr Kundu added.
Apart from known tourist spots like Manali, Kasauli, Shimla, Dalhousie and Dharamshala, people have booked homestays in lesser-known places such as Malana, Naggar, Narkanda, Jibhi, Bir Bling and Dharamkot, the police chief said.
"The state government has allowed places to open up for tourists and, therefore, many have been registered under the homestay plans. So, people from other parts of the country have made bookings for months at a time and are working from there," he said.
On Thursday, the state reported 128 fresh cases of coronavirus. There are 1,307 active cases in the deaths, according to Union Health Ministry figures Friday.