Mussoorie, Aug. 2 -- In compliance with directives issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), hotels and tourist accommodation units in Mussoorie have begun registering real-time details of tourists and vehicles on a dedicated online portal developed by the tourism department. The initiative, which officially began on Friday, aims to monitor tourist influx and vehicle entry into the hill station in real-time. The move follows the NGT's 2023 intervention after the Joshimath land subsidence incident, which underscored the ecological fragility of hill towns in Uttarakhand. As per the new protocol, all hotels, guest houses, homestays, and dharamshalas are required to create user accounts on the portal registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in/mussoorie. The accommodation providers must then upload real-time data of tourists checking in and vehicles arriving at their premises. District tourism officer Brijendra Pandey said the department conducted multiple workshops for hoteliers and other stakeholders, ensuring they were familiar with the new requirements. "Following suggestions from stakeholders, we created a digital platform that allows real-time submission of tourist and vehicle data. After successful trial sessions, the registration process began in full swing from Friday," he said. The new system is designed to aid authorities in crafting effective traffic, waste, and crowd management strategies, particularly during peak tourism periods. Mussoorie, with a footfall rising from 1.1 million in 2022 to over 2.1 million in 2024, has witnessed increasingly severe traffic congestion, particularly in areas like Gandhi Chowk and Mall Road. Sanjay Agarwal, president of the Mussoorie Hotel Association, confirmed that hotels have started uploading tourist data on the portal and that trial runs held earlier this week helped operators become familiar with the system. "We have also seen the activation of automated number plate recognition (ANPR) systems at key entry points, which helps regulate the number of vehicles entering the town," he added. Despite the support from large hospitality units, some homestay owners expressed concern over the added administrative load and the potential impact on spontaneous or last-minute tourism. They fear the process could discourage footfall, particularly from short-trip travellers. Still, many in the hospitality sector view the registration mandate as a step toward a more sustainable tourism model. "This move will go a long way in addressing the chronic problems of over-tourism, traffic snarls, and environmental degradation," said Chandar Prakash Khanduri, a resident of Library Bazaar. "If implemented well, it could become a model for other Indian hill stations just like the Char Dham Yatra registration system," he said Echoing this sentiment, Anoop Nautiyal, founder of the Social Development for Communities Foundation, said the decision reflects a long-overdue realisation of the carrying capacity limits of towns like Mussoorie....