Shimla, January 18
The intense cold wave conditions sweeping Himachal Pradesh claimed four lives in the past 24 hours even as life remained paralysed in many districts. Two persons died in each district of Kulu and Kinnaur.
A person identified as Joginder Singh, 44, was found dead in the Koli Behad area of Kulu district, while a Nepali labourer, Maan Singh, was found dead at Virue village in the Sainj valley yesterday.
Heavy snowfall paralysed life in the key tourist resort of Manali and more snow clouds hovered over Kulu district today with the town already having recorded over two feet of snowfall.
The Solang ski slopes had received almost six feet of snowfall during the past few days, official sources said, adding that the National Highway 21 leading to Manali was also blocked at many places.
Water and telephone services have also been affected in the district.
Kinnuar
district remained cut off from the rest of the country for the third day today even as the sky remained overcast
throughout the day, with temperatures dipping to minus 20° C at many places in the district.
Kalpa and Sangla areas of the district had received almost five feet of snow during the past few days, while Dhundi in Kulu district had received 115 cm of snowfall, Solang Nullah 73 cm, Bhang in Manali 26 cm, and Patsio 18 cm.
The old Hindustan-Tibet road was also closed for traffic beyond Bhavanagar and official sources said HRTC buses were plying between Bhavanagar and Shimla.
A report from Chamba said traffic on the Chamba-Bharmour and Chamba-Chuawari was restored today after remained suspended for the past two days.
Bhuntar in Kulu district had received about 22.6 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, followed by 9.1 mm in Shimla and 30.7 mm at Sundernagar in Mandi district.
The minimum temperature recorded in Shimla was 3.6° Celsius, while it was 4.9° Celsius at Bhuntar and 8.7° Celsius at Sundernagar.
RECKONG PEO: In Kinnaur district one person identified as Lal Singh died in Tapri on Tuesday, while the other person who died was identified as Guru Nima (60), a resident of Khab village of in Pooh subdivision.
With private and public transport facilities almost at halt in the area, patients suffering from cold-related ailments in the far-flung areas are unable to reach the district hospital here and other nearest hospitals.
There were also reports of avalanches near Jhangi, Pooh and few other areas beyond Pooh but no loss to human life was reported.
SRINAGAR: The 300-km long Srinagar-Jammu national highway remained closed for the fourth day on Wednesday due to landslides, though air traffic from the valley resumed.
The only road linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, remained closed due to landslides in the Ramban and Shataninallah areas following heavy rains.
Official sources said hundreds of vehicles, including truck loaded with essential commodities, were stranded on the highway, thus resulting in a shortage of essential commodities.
JAMMU: Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad reviewed the stock position of essential commodities in the valley at a meeting here on Wednesday.
Minister for Consumer Affairs Hakim Yaseen and senior officer attended the meeting.
