Mussoorie (PTI): Tourists on a vacation to Mussoorie are having a tough time this summer due to lack of decent accommodation, stinking roads and above all acute shortage of water — fallouts of the indefinite strike by municipal employees of the popular hill station.

Taken up during the peak tourist season, the stir by employees of the water department and safai karamcharis demanding implementation of 6th Pay Commission recommendations has severely hit the town’s water supply and virtually turned the Mall Road here into a garbage dump.

Despite showing an increase of 30 to 40 per cent in tourist arrivals this season, hotel owners said they are forced to turn away prospective customers owing to the shortage of water and occupancy levels have gone down below 50 per cent.

Trying to mitigate the problem, V K Sinha, General Manager, water works department, Mussoorie, said, “The government has formed a committee to look into the demands of striking employees. It will soon take a decision.”

“Till that period, employees should not hold the town to ransom and they should calm down. Tourism forms the lifeline of Mussoorie and this is the peak season,” Mr. Sinha said.