Himachal Pradesh has opened borders for tourists, and a negative COVID-19 test result is not mandatory. This has indeed come as good news and numerous tourists and visitors
from all over the country have made a beeline to the many pilgrimage sites located in the state.
The most-favoured destinations among tourists have been places of worship like Chintpurni, Jwalamukhi, Kangra and Chamunda Devi. But those who revere god often don't do the same for nature and the environment unfortunately.
The tourists have left behind heaps of waste and junk in the Himalayan state.
If the lockdown has had any positive side it would be cleaner air, water bodies and environment. Nature had started to breathe again.
So it's tragic that tourists still haven't figured out how not to pollute the environment while travelling.
And a fragile Himalayan state has been trashed by tourists. Reports say that plastic junk, empty liquor bottles and disposable plastic plates have littered forests, highways and villages in Himachal Pradesh. Disposable plastic material, polythene bags mineral water bottles, empty chips wrappers and sweet foils can be seen in the pristine areas of Kangra district, despite a complete ban on the sale and use of polythene bags in the state. Obviously, the residents of the region are not at all happy with the state of affairs.
Those in the tourism sector are now saying that the government should ask tourists for COVID-19 negative reports.
