Shimla, Dec 27 (IANS): With more than 5,000 vehicles crossing the Atal Tunnel Rohtang near Manali on Sunday, Himachal Pradesh Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu said the police have made elaborate arrangements to ensure smooth traffic flow in view the large number of tourists.

He said the police were managing the bumper to bumper traffic in an excellent manner and it was being ensured that the tourists visiting it from various parts of the country did not face any inconvenience.

He said that more than 5,000 vehicles crossed the Atal Tunnel Rohtang from both ends on Sunday, which was the highest traffic to the date.

He added the total inflow to Lahaul was registered as 2,800 vehicles while total outflow from remained 2,650. Moreover, around 200 vehicles were still in Sissu helipad parking area.

Kundu said the Atal Tunnel Rohtang has become a major tourist destination of the country in a short time. The tourists were preferring to visit the beautiful snow-bound valley of Lahaul and they were particularly interested to see the Atal Tunnel.

He said the police department has made special arrangements to ensuring smooth traffic flow from both sides of the tunnel.

A recent case of hooliganism came to light last week when a group of youngsters from Delhi stopped their three vehicles midway in the newly-opened Atal Tunnel and started clicking pictures, recording videos and dancing. This led to obstruction of traffic inside the tunnel.

Seven tourists, mostly in their twenties and thirties, have been detained for dancing inside the tunnel under several sections of the Indian Penal Code. They have also been charged with spreading infection of disease dangerous to life.

The 9.2-km horseshoe-shaped single-tube, two-lane Atal Tunnel, which has shortened the distance between Manali and Keylong, the headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti, by 46 kms, reducing the travel time by nearly three hours, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 3.