Cold wave tightens its grip in state

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 17

The intense cold wave tightened its grip further in the state with Keylong in tribal Lahaul and Spiti district reeling under freezing cold with mercury dipping to -12.1° C.

There was no end to miseries of people in Kullu and Manali, who were still without electricity, water and other services.

All major roads in Shimla area, including the Hindustan-Tibet National Highway, Shimla-Jubbal-Rohru and roads linking Chopal and Nerwa have been opened for traffic, but 34 roads in interior areas of Rohru are still closed and efforts were on to open the roads in the next two days.

High-altitude tribal areas groaned under arctic conditions with minimum temperatures staying between -13°C and -20°C.

Wrapped under a thick blanket of snow, Manali shivered at -4.8°C, while Kalpa in tribal Kinnaur district recorded a low of -3.8°C, followed by Bhuntar -2.6°C, Sundernagar, Solan and Chamba 0.2°C, 0.5°C and 1.6°C, while Shimla and Una shivered at 2°C and Mandi and Nahaan recorded a low of 3.2°C and 3.7°C each, followed by Dharamsala 4°C and Hamirpur recorded a low of 5.7°C and 6.9°C.

The maximum temperatures rose marginally as the region had bright sunshine. Sundernagar and Una recorded a high of 18.7°C and 18°C, followed by Solan 17°C, Nahan 16.3°C, Shimla 13.5°C, Bhuntar 12.6°C and Kalpa 6°C.

The freezing of perennial sources of water such as lakes, springs, rivulets and tributaries of major rivers in high-altitude tribal areas has sharply reduced the discharge of water in snow-fed Beas, Ravi and Sutlej rivers affecting hydropower generations in major projects, including the 1,500-mw Nathpa-Jhakri and 1,200-mw Karchham Wangtoo projects.

As per the synoptic feature, cold and dry air is prevailing in the state. The local Met Department has predicted dry weather in the state for the next six days.