Snowfall, bad weather lead to traffic curbs in Tawang Monastery-bound highways

Itanagar, Feb 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) Due to continuous bad weather and the resultant snowfall, which severely affected the movement of tourists in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang, Sela Pass and adjoining areas in the height of the current tourism season, the district authority has imposed traffic restrictions, officials said on Monday.

The District Magistrate of West Kameng district, Karma Leki, said in the traffic advisory that the movement of any vehicle, both government and private, shall be permitted based on alternate day traffic movement and all such vehicles plying from West Kameng to Tawang via Sela Pass shall be allowed on alternate days.

"In view of continuous bad weather and snowfall between Baisakhi and Sela Pass, surface transport and road communication is badly affected which impedes smooth flow of vehicular traffic.

"Due to continuous snowing, the road width between Sela Pass and Baisakhi is very narrow and slippery with no space for passage of two vehicles coming from opposite directions, and unregulated traffic coming from both Tawang and West Kameng end is creating traffic jams and blockade, resulting in further deterioration of already precarious road traffic condition at the Balipara-Charduar-Tawang stretch, thus endangering the lives and property of the commuters," the advisory said.

It said that the Superintendent of Police, West Kameng district, has been asked to ensure strict implementation of the measures.

In this tourism season, hundreds of Indian and foreign tourists visit the Tawang Monastery and the adjoining tourist places.

Located at a height of 3,400 mt, Tawang Monastery, founded in 1681, is the second biggest and oldest in Asia.

Source: IANS