The Visual Yatra's video: Rohtang Pass 2020

Complying with a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order, Himachal Pradesh government is putting up high-tech barriers at Gulaba and Koksar near Rohtang Pass in order to restrict the number of tourists accessing the environmentally sensitive region situated at a height of 13,000 feet. Gulaba is 23km from Manali at an altitude of over 8,000ft, and located on the Rohtang foothill. Koksar is the first village of Lahaul after crossing Rohtang Pass. Only 800 petrol and 400 diesel vehicles will henceforth be given permits on a daily basis to go beyond the barrier towards Rohtang pass. The barrier would feed the details of the vehicle into a computer as they come and go, to stop misuse of permits. The permits will be available online on a first-come, first-served basis. This year, permits to Lahaul and Ladakh will also be available online. Manali sub-divisional magistrate Hem Raj Bairwa said staff at the barriers will check the permits and vehicles with the help of an internet connected system. "Now, we can check whether any tourist is going to Rohtang Pass by claiming to be on a visit to Lahaul and Ladakh. Work to make both checkpoints high-tech is underway," he said. Vehicles not complying with the NGT order will be blacklisted, he added. NGT had ordered Himachal government to computerise and make the barrier at Gulaba high-tech. The state government has now started improving the infrastructure to comply with the tribunal's order. NGT had reduced the number of permits issued daily to visit Rohtang pass to 1,000, but later increased it to 1,200. Earlier, over 3,000 tourist vehicles used to visit Rohtang every day. While web accessibility is easy in Gulaba, Lahaul faces problems of phone and internet connectivity. Bairwa said internet connectivity has been arranged at Koksar as well. Meanwhile, Him-Aanchal Taxi Operator Union has demanded shifting of the barrier at Gulaba to Marhi, so that tourists can get closer to Rohtang. Union president Raj Kumar Dogra said, "Gulaba is a congested area with no parking facility. The region has new plantations whereas Marhi has open space and no vegetation. We have requested the DC and other officials to take our request to NGT to shift the barrier to Marhi, which will help tourists reach closer to snow point (a geographical term to indicate an area where it snows all year round)."