Poll pause over, tourism back in Darjeeling as S Bengal sizzles
Times of India | 29 April 2024
DARJEELING: After polls concluded in the Queen of the Hills, tourism is back in top gear. Darjeeling woke up to a foggy Sunday morning, offering a perfect escape to the parched tourists from the sweltering south Bengal.
Though the tourist season had set in April, with the closure of the tourist spots for 48 hours in the poll season Darjeeling had come to a pause.However, after the election, hotels are running in full capacity and cab operators are flooded with bookings.
Moreover,the hoteliers have anticipated last minute rush due to the severe heatwaves in south Bengal. Darjeeling Association of Travel Agents (DATA), General Secretary, Pradeep Lama, said with the boom in business and soaring temperature in the plains, there might be difficulty in getting rooms. Considering the rush, Lama also urged hotel owners and cab drivers not to charge exorbitant fare and tariff.
The tourist influx coincides with the summer in Kolkata and south Bengal, where the temperature has soared to 41°C. On the other hand, the maximum temperature in Darjeeling has been hovering around 22 to 23 °C, while the minimum is being recorded between 11 to 12 °C.
According to the Gangtok station of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Darjeeling is expected to receive light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms from Tuesday.
Tourists from the plains were overjoyed and surprised to experience the weather in the hills. Aripta Ghosal, a resident of Rajarhat in Kolkata, said: "We reached Darjeeling yesterday (Saturday) to experience the cool weather. We weren't expecting this cold. Since we did not bring warm clothes, we had to go buy warm ones." Another tourist,Sou Dip from Dum Dum, said he fled (quite literally) with his wife and daughter from Kolkata because of the heat.
"Though we faced difficulty in getting the tickets, it was worth the visit", said Sou Dip. Dawa Dorjee Sherpa, owner of the Darjeeling cab.com, said they were booked till May end. "We had kept our services shut on poll day and had a few bookings the next day. From Sunday, the bookings are coming thick and fast," said Sherpa.