Heavy snow, rain block 302 roads

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 15

More than 302 roads, including Shimla-Chopal, Baghi Khadrala-Sungri-Rohru and Shimla-Ani-Jalori Jot-Aut remained closed in the state on Friday due to fresh spell of snow.

The Met office stated that Kothi received 62 cm of snow, Keylong 25 cm, Khadrala 24, Kalpa 14 cm, Dalhousie 7 cm, Manali 6 cm and Pooh 3 cm.

Gohar in Mandi recorded 60 mm of rain, the highest in the state, Baldwara 59 mm, Bharari 55 mm, Jogindernagar,44mm, Ghumarwin 42 mm, Bhoranj and Kheri 40 mm each, Dharamsala 37 mm, Sarkaghat 36 mm, Nadaun and Aghar 35 mm each, Una, Palampur and Berthin 34 mm each, Mandi and Bangana 31 mm each, Naina Devi and Nagrota Suriyan 30 mm each and Hamirpur 28 mm.

The capital city recorded 6 mm of rain and Kufri 4 mm, while the maximum temperature was recorded at 7.6 degrees C and 1.4 degrees C, respectively. Una at 18.6 degrees C remained the hottest place in the state, while Keylong at -7.0 degrees C remained the coldest place in the state.

The Met office said the minimum temperature decreased by 2 to 3 degrees C, while the maximum temperature decreased by 5 to 6 degrees C during the last 24 hours.

According to the Met office forecast, the weather will remain packed with prediction of snowfall in the higher hills and rain and hailstone in mid-hills mainly on February 19 and 20 across the state.

The Public Works Department (PWD) report revealed that more than 302 roads remained blocked in the state due to snowfall. These included 36 roads in Shimla zone, 171 roads in Mandi zone, including 156 in Kullu circle, and 92 roads in Kangra zone, including 89 roads in Dalhousie circle and three in Palampur circle.

The PWD had deployed 189 machines to restore the roads, said the report. Also, HRTC buses remained suspended on 302 routes in the state due to snow and rain.

Pir Panjal ranges don white mantle

Chamba: High-altitude areas of the district and the adjacent Pir Panjal ranges have been experiencing heavy snowfall for the past nearly 24 hours.

Reports reaching here on Friday stated that link roads in the snowbound areas had been blocked either by snow or by landslides following heavy rain and electricity supply continued to be disrupted in several remote villages.

The reports said that the normal life continued to be paralysed due to snowy weather in the district. Due to icy cold winds, inhabitants living in the upper reaches were confined to their houses and facing shortage of fuel wood, the reports added.