IIM-Kashipur, police launch joint survey to improve Nainital, Kainchi Dham traffic flow

Nainital: A first-of-its-kind collaboration between IIM-Kashipur and Kumaon police was launched to address worsening traffic congestion and parking issues in Nainital and Kainchi Dham, where rising tourist numbers have strained existing infrastructure. The joint initiative began with a field study conducted over the weekend. The IIM team's report is expected to recommend adjustments to current parking infrastructure, better traffic volume distribution, and coordination among local authorities to manage tourist inflow more effectively. Inspector general (Kumaon range) Ridhim Agarwal invited the IIM team to partner in studying traffic problems in the region. The IIM team is working with police officials to survey diversion points, parking zones, and congestion hotspots. The aim is to compile these findings into a comprehensive report with short, medium, and long-term solutions tailored for the region. SP (crime and traffic) Jagdish Chandra, told TOI, "Officials from the police and other govt departments are collaborating closely with the IIM team, offering inputs and working in a ‘workpaper' format. The focus is to create implementable strategies that improve parking systems and ensure smoother traffic flow." Prof Somnath Chakraborty said, "A four-member IIM Kashipur team—including Prof Jagdeesh Sahu, Prof Devendra Pathak, and Prof Mohit Ray — has begun preliminary surveys to understand traffic flow and infrastructure around key areas, particularly Kainchi Dham. We are visiting various parking spots, temples, and diversion points to assess the situation." He added, "We are working closely with the Kumaon range police to find sustainable solutions that will ease movement during peak tourist periods. We will study the situation, hold discussions, and then hand over our report to IG Kumaon." The fieldwork comes in the wake of multiple earlier interventions, which officials say have had only limited success. On March 26, shuttle services were launched at Kainchi Dham to manage crowd pressure during regular and festival days. Visitors were directed to use designated parking spaces, from where shuttle buses would ferry them to the temple. Heavy vehicles were restricted during peak hours to ease movement. To supplement this, the Nainital Nagar Palika recently proposed raising the vehicle entry tax from Rs 120 to Rs 500 to disincentivise unnecessary inflow. The proposal was submitted to Uttarakhand High Court, which ordered that the increased tax be collected only via UPI scanner codes to avoid traffic bottlenecks at toll points. In addition, Uttarakhand high court has issued multiple directives over the years to improve the situation. These included replacing cycle rickshaws with e-rickshaws, developing satellite parking facilities in Kathgodam and Kaladhungi, and examining the feasibility of a ropeway from Ranibagh to Nainital to reduce vehicular load.Despite these efforts, congestion during weekends and holiday seasons has continued to affect both tourist experience and daily life for locals. The current initiative, officials said, is designed to create lasting infrastructure solutions and data-backed traffic management systems that can adapt to seasonal variations in footfall.

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