Rishikesh, Apr 15 (PTI) Heavy tourist inflow owing to the long weekend led to a 30-km traffic jam between Haridwar and Rishikesh on Friday with vehicles moving at a snail's pace, officials said.

The long weekend began on Thursday with Ambedkar Jayanti followed by Good Friday and Saturday and Sunday.

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According to officials, the jam stretched Har-ki-Pauri in Haridwar to Lakshman Jhoola in Rishikesh, a distance of around 30 km.

Dehradun traffic director Mukhtar Mohsin said heavy crowds were expected due to the long weekend that began with Ambedkar Jayanti on Thursday and adequate arrangements were made.

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However, the tourist footfall exceeded the expectations upsetting all arrangements, he added.

Meanwhile, the Chardham yatra in Uttarakhand will begin in the first week of May and a heavy influx of devotees is expected to visit the state as the annual pilgrimage will take place without any restrictions for the first time in two years since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)