No let-up in chill deaths in Shimla

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 18

Intense cold wave claimed another life here today. The body of a 60-year-old man Pratap Singh was found in the gallery of Puranmal Dharamsala near the old bus stand, which was his permanent abode.

Sources said the deceased belonged to Tissa in Chamba and was working as a labourer. The exact cause of the death would be known after the post-mortem, but the possibility of death due to severe cold at night could not be ruled out, they added.

Relatives of the deceased were contacted, but they refused to take the body. It is kept in the IGMC, police sources said.

The state continues to reel under severe cold conditions as tribal areas and other higher hills experienced another spell of light snowfall and Bharmaur in Chamba received 10.2 cm of snow, followed by Keylong 9 cm, Kalpa 6.6 cm, Saloni 5 cm and Chhatarai 2 mm of snow.

Scattered rain occurred at some places and Khrei, Chamba and Rohru and recorded 16 mm, 10 mm and 8 mm rain followed by Dharamsala 6 mm and Manali 2 mm.

Keylong and Kalpa in tribal Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur districts were the coldest at night with the minimum temperature of -7.5°C and -7.2°C while key tourist resorts of Manali and Shimla recorded a low of -4°C and -0.6°C followed by Bhuntar 1°C, Solan 1.6°C, Nahan 3.5°C, Sundernagar 4.4 °C, Una 6 °C and Kangra 6.2°C.

The Theog-Hatkoti road was blocked due to heavy landslide near Badvi, 75 km from here, and efforts were on to clear the road, a spokesman of the Public Works Department said.

The local MeT Department has predicted rain or snow at isolated places in the mid and higher hills from tomorrow till January 24 as yesterday’s induced upper air cyclonic circulation now lies over Haryana and adjoining Punjab.

Meanwhile, residents of Sidhora, Saria and Sauldhali villages between Mashobra and Baldeha on the outskirts of Shimla town complained that there was no power supply from January 7 and more than 300 families in the three villages and adjoining areas were left to fend for themselves.

Madan Lal, a villager from Sidhora, said there was no electricity in a majority of areas, leaving some selective resorts where power had been restored.

The residents continued to face water crises and the situation was grim in Jakhu, Totu, Chakkar, Kuftadhar and few other areas. Kalyan Arvind, a resident of Totu, said: “Water was available only once since January 7. When we call up the authorities concerned, they say that the pipes are frozen”.

Another resident from Sanjauli Neelam Thakur complained that the time schedule of water supply had been changed and the people living in rented accommodation, who do not have water storage tanks, were facing a lot of difficulty.

DC visits fire-hit village

Rohan Chand Thakur, Deputy Commissioner, Shimla, today visited the fire-affected village of Tangnu in the Chidgaon block of the Rohru sub-division and interacted with the victims.

He said 24 families, which included families belonging to below poverty line, would be given 24 houses free of cost under the Rajiv Awas Yojana and Mukhya Mantri Awas Yojna, while all possible help would be rendered to the remaining 32 families.

He also issued directions to immediately resolve the problems being faced by the victims besides granting permission for the construction of two public toilets in the village.