Chikkamagaluru: An extended weekend brought a surge of tourists to Chikkamagaluru district, with thousands of tourists thronging hill stations, triggering massive traffic jams on narrow ghat roads.Mullayanagiri, Seethalayyanagiri, Baba Budangiri, Manikyadhara, Kemmanagundi, Hirekolale Lake, Ettinabhuja, Devaramane, Ranijhari, Ballalarayanadurga, Kallathigiri and Hebbe Falls all saw a sharp rise in visitors. Traffic came to a standstill near Pandaravalli and Seethalayyanagiri for hours on the single-lane hill stretch, leaving tourists stranded.The holiday and weekend combination pushed the number of travellers far above normal. With steep, winding roads unable to handle the load, traffic came to a standstill around Pandaravalli. Families with children and the elderly were stuck inside cars under the hot sun.The tourism department’s online ticketing or slot system has allegedly been bypassed. “Cars are being let up the hills after collecting Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per vehicle, without online clearance. That’s why we have uncontrolled numbers,” tourists and locals alleged.Blaming the tourists, BL Anitha, a local, claimed that thousands of tourists were visiting Chikkamagaluru and the majority of them showcased responsibility. “However, many have no minimum sense to maintain cleanliness and traffic discipline. The roads were jam-packed due to wrong movements of vehicles,” she blamed. She also claimed that it took her 30 minutes to cross Chikkamagaluru town.Police and checkpost staff struggled to clear traffic, but the sheer volume of vehicles made it difficult to restore movement of vehicles. The density of the vehicles also threatened safety on narrow ghat roads, increasing accident risk. Fragile zones like Mullayanagiri face the threat of damage due to overcrowding, locals said.Tourists have demanded slot-based entry, a cap on vehicles, and immediate action against violations. Strict enforcement of online slots and vehicle caps is needed, they said.Tourists parked cars and clicked photos in coffee and tea estates, moving in groups. With most arriving by car, heavy traffic congestion was reported across Chikkamagaluru town and on the highways. With vehicle queues stretching long, in some spots, tourists had to park far away and walk due to the volume of visitors.Temple towns of Sringeri, Kalasa, Horanadu and Ammathapura temples also saw large crowds. KSRTC buses ran full due to the rush.Besides visitors from across Karnataka, a large number of people came from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, according to officials.
