By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 16: The renowned Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival continues to attract visitors of all ages to its vibrant venue in Umroi. While the festival dazzled attendees with a stellar line-up of performances, mouth-watering food and scenic beauty, issues of poor management and irresponsible behaviour dampened the festive mood.
Chaos erupted at the ticket counters on Friday evening as visitors scrambled to secure entry tags. Despite multiple counters being set up for issuing tags and offline tickets, many counters remained unstaffed, leading to overcrowding and confusion.
“There was confusion. We were directed from one counter to another to get our tags,” said a frustrated tourist.
Inside the venue, food stalls offered a variety of delicacies, with some vendors maintaining prices as per MRP while others charged exorbitant rates.
One such counter was seen selling a Rs 10 water bottle at an inflated price.
Further, traffic chaos emerged as a major issue outside the venue.
Irresponsible driving caused massive traffic jams along the Shillong Bypass, particularly from the Airport Junction to the festival venue.
The two-lane road was entirely clogged with festival-bound vehicles, leaving no room for oncoming traffic. The situation exacerbated as VIP vehicles overtook others, further contributing to the gridlock.
Many visitors, frustrated by the delays, abandoned their cars to walk to the venue.
In addition, nearby residents also made good profits by offering parking spaces for fees ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 500.
