Heavy snowfall throws life out of gear

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 25

As many as 598 roads and five national highways remained blocked for traffic due to fresh spell of snowfall on Friday. Half of snowbound Himachal has remained cut off from the mainstream for the past three days.

The traffic beyond Dhalli on the Shimla-Kufri-Theog-Narkanda-Rampur-Kinnaur road, Theog-Deha-Chopal-Nerwa road and Theog-Kharapathar-Hatkoti-Rohru road, which are the lifeline of the apple belt remained suspended since Thursday night.

Being a weekend, the tourist inflow increased in the city due to the fresh snowfall, sending occupancy rates in hotels zooming to 60 per cent, said hoteliers.

The electricity was restored in most of the apple belt on Friday, but snowbound region of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti reeled under darkness. The water supplies in Kufri and Fagu and the apple belt remained affected due to freezing of water pipes.

According to the Met office and inputs from locals and officials, Shimla received 6.9 cm, Kufri 15 cm, Keylong 3 cm and Manali 10 cm of fresh snowfall and Kasauli in Solan received season’s first, but light fresh snowfall on Friday. Rohru, Chopal, Jubbal and Kotkhai remained cut off from the state headquarters for the past three days.

Commuters, including patients who had got struck in these snowbound areas were taking the Rohru-Tiuni-Paonta Sahib, Nerwa-Paonta-Nahan route to reach Shimla or Chandigarh after a gruelling journey of 10 to 12 hours, said Rakesh Sharma, a resident of Rohru.

According the inputs received, 598 roads and five national highways — three in Shimla and two in Shahpur circle of national highways ( Kullu-Manali and Manali-Keylong — remained blocked due to the snowfall. The traffic was diverted via Basantpur on the Mashobra-Kingal road to Rampur.

In Shimla zone, the highest number of roads— 391 roads, 184 roads in Rohru circle (Jubbal-Kotkhai and Chopal) and 177 roads in Rampur circle (Kinnaur and Rampur and Theog) — remained blocked for traffic due to the snow fall that brought public mobility to a halt.

In Mandi zone, 123 roads – 68 in Mandi and 55 roads in Kullu— remained blocked due to the snowfall.

In Kangra zone – 79 roads out which 71 in Dalhousie and eight in Palampur remained blocked for traffic due to snow. All movement in Dalhousie-Bharmour-Tissa belt has come to a standstill due to heavy snowfall, said the reports here.

However, all roads and highways remained open for traffic in Hamipur zone comprising Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Una districts— a low lying region, which received rains ranging from 7.8 mm in Dharamsala to 3.1 mm in Mandi town.

Ajay Garg, SE, PWD (works), said the PWD had deployed 285 machines— 197 hired ones— to clear the roads blocked by snow. “We expect 366 roads will be restored by Saturday if the weather clears up”, he added.

Restoration work underway in Chamba

Chamba: An official spokesperson claimed that the work to restore the link roads in the interior high-altitude snowbound terrains of Chamba district was underway and several roads, including Chamba-Khajjiar road, had been opened to public. These roads were blocked by heavy snowfall on January 22 and the power supply was disrupted due to the damage caused to transmission lines and eclectic poles in the higher reaches of the district. The spokesperson said here on Friday that the work to restore the electricity supply to high-altitude villages was in fullswing as the staff of power board was on the job to rectify the faults in electric poles and transmission lines.  OC

Postman buried under landslide

Chamba: One postmanwas buried under the debris of a landslide near Bakan village in Chamba district on Friday, a police report said here. The deceased was identified as Mohinder Singh (42),  a resident of Jadda village. OC

Weather to remain dry till Jan 29

Met Director Manmohan Singh said the weather would remain dry in the lower and middle hills till January 29, while the higher hills might get snow at isolated place on Saturday and would remain dry till January 29.