Until the beginning of last year, none of us worried about booking a flight and travelling to our favourite destinations. Then came the strain of the virus and the outbreak was so atrocious that we ended up in a lockdown. 

When things got better, it felt like people wanted to rush back to their everyday lives. To such an extent that mass gatherings also couldn't be avoided. 

One such example of that was the Kumbh Mela, which was met with a lot of criticism

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We now have vaccines, but the pandemic is not over yet. As experts predict the onset of the third wave, we also witnessed crowding in tourist places like Manali and the Kempty waterfalls. 

Moreover, ever since lockdown restrictions eased in Himachal Pradesh, people have been imprudent with their decisions. 

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Now, a vast crowd was witnessed at Rohtang pass, where unruly tourists broke the pandemic norms of social distancing and wearing masks. Rohtang pass is 13,000 feet above sea level, where the temperature last week was around 7-10 Degrees Celsius. 

The place was open to tourists after the restrictions were lifted in June. But, just like other tourist places, evenRohtang saw several people flouting Covid-10 mandates. 

Not just that, but people are openly disobeying the rules with horse and yak riding and other activities. 

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When a tourist was asked as to why he was not wearing a mask, he said, "No, we are not afraid of another Covid-19 wave. Covid is nothing, Punjabis do not fear Covid." 

The team of India Today decided to head to Rohtang pass and witnessed couples breaking the norms and enjoying several activities. 

Thakur Das, who runs a business in Rohtang pass, mentioned that adventure tourism was severely hit during the pandemic. He said, "Adventure tourism activities did not happen last year. Yes, there is a fear of Covid-19 but we are taking precautions." 

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Other activities, including zipline rides and river rafting, have also opened up and are a famous sport among couples, whereas youngsters are attracted to hiking and hot air balloon rides. 

© Twitter/Rubul Hira

There are high chances of a third wave during august and September, and if crowding continues to increase in the coming days, there could be another plausible lockdown. The lack of fear in people has led to a rise in cases. God save us all! 

Here are some reactions of people on Twitter: 

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