U’khand forest fires fan out to populated areas

THE wildfires raging in the forests surrounding Nainital city have begun to impact entrepreneurs operating within the tourism sector.

-  NARENDRA SETHI

Upon learning of the current situation regarding hotels in Nainital and Bhawali, approximately 250 tourists from various states across the country have decided to cancel their pre-booked accommodations for the upcoming summer holidays.

For the past several days, wildfires have been burning in the forests surrounding Nainital city. The army's helicopters have been called in to help extinguish the fires. In light of this, upon receiving news through social media and other channels, tourists are cancelling their advance bookings.

Based on the data collected by this newspaper, over 250 reservations have been voided within a mere two-day span as a consequence of the wildfires.

A substantial 70 percent of these bookings were previously secured for the upcoming month of May.