Roads slippery, commuters a harried lot amid traffic jams in Shimla

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 5

Commuters were a harassed lot as sliding vehicles on slippery roads led to traffic jams as Shimla shivered under biting cold wave conditions.

A breakdown of a bus near Jutogh on the Shimla-Mandi road became a nightmare for commuters as traffic was blocked for more than two hours. A large number of vehicles was stranded on either side of the blockade and people were so disgusted that many of them with light luggage got down of their vehicles and started onward journey on foot.

The jam continued even after the vehicle was removed as the road was blocked due to piling up of vehicles in a haphazard manner which was moving at snail’s pace and the police had hard time in resuming normal traffic. The jam could be seen till Chakker and Dhanda from Tutu.

As many as 465 roads are closed due to snow. The maximum number of 144 roads is blocked in Shimla district. Further, 2048 DTR transformers have developed snags resulting in disruption in power supply at numerous places.

Supply of essential commodities like milk, bread and newspaper was hit as roads were blocked in the morning. Road restoration work is in progress, Chandigarh-Shimla and Shimla- Mandi roads have been opened for vehicular traffic and bus service has started. The upper Shimla region remained cut off for the second day due to thick layer of snow on main roads and link roads.

All the major roads in the town have been cleared for traffic, said SP Shimla Mohit Chawla. Road to Kufri has been opened but unnecessary movement should be avoided as the roads are slippery and could lead to accidents, he added.

Surge in tourist inflow

As expected, there was surge in tourist inflow and the occupancy in hotels in the state capital has increased from 30 per cent to 70 per cent. Hundreds of tourist vehicles are arriving since morning and all parking lots are full.

Tourist made a beeline to Shimla following snowfall. The occupancy is around 70 percent but the problem is that neither there is light nor water to cater to the tourists, said Tourism Industry Stake Holders Association M K Seth.

Record snow in 24 hours

Shimla and adjoining tourist resort of Kufri received 57 cm and 60 cm of snow in one day, breaking 30-year-old record while Shilaroo and Khadrala recorded 55 mm and 49mm, Jhenjheli 15 mm, Sarahan 12 cm,12each, Kasauli 10 cm and Kalpa and Keylong 7 cm.

Kandaghat was the wettest in the region with 63 mm rains, followed by Rohru and Solan 50 mm, Dharampur 40 mm, Rampur 27 mm, Gohar-24 mm, Tinder, Banjar, Rajgarh and Paonta Sahib 18 mm. Weather will remain dry for next six days from February 6 to Feburary 11 and night temperatures are likely to fall by 3 to 5 degree during next three days, MeT office said.

Night temperatures dropped sharply in higher hills. Keylong and Kalpa recorded a low of minus 7.2 degree and minus 4.3 degree while Kufri and Shimla shivered at minus 3.1 degree, and 1.0 degree, followed by Solan and Manali zero degree, Sundernagar 1.7 degree, Dharamsala 1.8 degree.

People vent ire on networking sites

The Facebook page of Shimla administration was full of negative comments. Residents took to the social networking site to vent out their ire, saying that the system has collapsed, roads are blocked, there is no electricity. They flayed the administration for poor response.

Key roads cleared for traffic movement

The road restoration work is in progress. Chandigarh- Shimla and Shimla- Mandi roads have been opened for vehicular traffic and bus service has started. The upper Shimla region remained cut off for the second day due to thick layer of snow on main roads and link roads.