Manali, Dec. 21 -- Manali is witnessing a surge in tourist footfall ahead of Christmas and New Year. Along with that, to escape the pollution, they are flocking to popular tourist destinations in Himachal Pradesh.

A tourist from Delhi said, "The pollution in Delhi is so bad that it's difficult to even breathe, so we thought we'd make a plan to go somewhere where the AQI is less. The AQI here is approximately below 50, while in Delhi it's around 700. It seems like Delhi has turned into a gas chamber."

Earlier on Saturday, tourists said they felt relief from respiratory heaviness, coughs, and eye irritation caused by high air pollution.

Pankaj, a tourist from Faridabad, said that the air in the city is bad at the moment, which is why he ...