Biting cold in tribal areas; lakes, rivulets freeze

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 13

The tribal areas and higher hills groaned under biting cold wave conditions as the minimum temperature dropped by a few notches, aggravating the cold wave conditions.

The high mountain passes of Rohtang, Kunzam, Saach and Chansel and other tribal areas received fresh snow while mid and lower hills had moderate rain and all natural sources of water like lakes, springs, rivulets and tributaries of major rivers were frozen, drastically reducing the discharge of water in snowfed rivers, affecting hydropower generation.

Gondla, Rohtang Pass, Saach Pass, Keylong, Kalpa and Chitkul received 32 mm, 20 cm, 15 cm, 10 cm, Kalpa 9 cm and 8 cm of fresh snow while Shimla and surrounding areas were lashed by sleet, causing a sharp fall in mercury.

The Rohtang Pass, gateway to Lahaul and Pangi valleys, has been closed for the winter due to heavy snow while other national highways and state highways are open to traffic. The normal life has come to a halt in tribal valleys due to snowfall and extreme low temperatures and people have been forced to stay indoors.

The rain and snowfall blocked roads and affected power supply at some places in Shimla district but all roads, including the Hatkoti-Theog and Hindustan-Tibet Highway, had been opened while the power supply, which was disrupted due to falling of trees at Taklech, Chopal, Kupvi, Jubbal and some other places, has been restored, said Shimla Deputy Commissioner Rohan Chand Thakur. All roads were open and electricity and water supply was normal, he added.

Moderate to heavy rain lashed mid and lower hills and Sarkaghat was the wettest in the region with 58 mm rain, followed by Pandoh 39 mm , Bhoranj 38 mm, Sujanpur Tira 37 mm, Gaggal 35 mm, Dharamsala 34 mm Palampur 33 mm , Chamba 28 mm, Saloni 26 mm, Baijnath 25 mm, Bharari 23 mm, Kotkhai 20 mm, Mandi and Jhandutta 19 mm each, Berthin17, Manali 15 mm and Bhuntar 9 mm and Ghumarwin and Mehre 15 mm each.

Night temperatures stayed below freezing point in the high-altitude tribal areas and Keylong, Kalpa and Manali recorded a low of minus 4.9 degree, minus 1 degree and zero degree C. Shimla shivered at 3.4 degree under heavily overcast sky and piercing icy winds sweeping the town while Mandi and Dharamsala recorded the minimum temperature at 5.2 degree and 5.4 degree.

The local MeT office has predicted rain or snow at many places in lower, mid and higher hills tomorrow and dry weather in the region from December 14.