DHARAMSHALA: A massive traffic mess was witnessed on Friday in the region due to festival rush . Vehicular movement almost stopped on the national highways till late noon. The police said that movement of the vehicles increased due to Bhai dooj, leading to chaos.Most of the main squares on the Pathankot-Mandi national highway remained jammed for hours. Gaggal chowk near Kangra airport and Matour chowk connecting Palampur Dharamshala and Kangra town witnessed longest traffic jams.The day was spoiled for many sisters and brothers, who were travelling long distances to mark Bhai dooj. “I had to travel from Jammu to Kangra. My in laws are in Jammu. The traffic was so maddening that I had to travel on a two-wheeler with my husband to reach my parent’s house on time,” said Shobhna Verma, who works as a teacher at Jammu.Superintendent of Police, Santosh Patial, admitted that there was a huge rush on the roads which lead to traffic problems. According to him, the situation only got worse as weekend approached, as tourists started to come to the hills, adding to the traffic chaos.“Department made full arrangements, but there were so many vehicles on the road that traffic jams became inevitable,” he said.According to the police, the festive season also saw many adhoc roadside stalls selling knick-knacks put up by vendors from mostly outside the state. These stalls encroached on the roads, making it difficult for the road users to navigate.

Stay updated with all the Latest Shimla headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.