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Fresh snowfall disrupts life in Lahaul-Spiti

MANDI: There seems no end to the woes of the people of tribal district Lahaul and Spiti anytime soon as the district received heavy snowfall on Thursday.

Fresh snowfall disrupts life in Lahaul-Spiti

Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti received over 30 cm fresh snowfall on Thursday. Tribune Photo



Dipender Manta
Tribune News Service
Mandi, February 21

There seems no end to the woes of the people of tribal district Lahaul and Spiti anytime soon as the district received heavy snowfall on Thursday.

The district headquarters at Keylong had received over 30 cm snowfall till filing of the report, while other parts of the district witnessed over 90 cm snow, snapping the power supply and telecommunication services in the region.

The entire district was reeling under darkness since Wednesday evening as heavy snowfall did considerable damage to the power lines. The telecommunication service remained snapped completely for more than 12 hours. It was restored on Thursday evening, but at Keylong and Udaipur only.

Patients have been the worst sufferers as they are stranded in the region for the past many days, waiting to be airlifted out of the district to avail better medical treatment. The last flight to Lahaul-Spiti was conducted on February 10. Thereafter, bad weather has become a hindrance in airlifting stranded people out of the area.

Also, all routes within Lahaul-Spiti are lying closed for the past many days, depriving the people of transportation facility. Residents of the district have been cut off from the rest of the state since December because of heavy snowfall at the 13,050-feet-high Rohtang Pass, the gateway to Lahaul on the Manali-Leh highway.

Talking to The Tribune, Subhash Gautam, Sub Divisional Magistrate of Udaipur in Lahaul-Spiti, said Keylong had received 30-cm fresh snowfall, while other parts of the district witnessed over 90-cm snowfall.

“The district was reeling under darkness since Wednesday night and telecommunication service was also hampered for more than 12 hours. Due to this, we are unable to collect information about any mishap because of bad weather and snowfall,” he added.

The SDM has urged the people to stay indoors for the next few days until the weather cleared up. Two-day holiday has been declared in all educational institutions of the district, he added.

Manali and its nearby places also received fresh snowfall, while the lower parts of Kullu and Mandi witnessed rainfall throughout the day. At Sainj valley near Pagal Nullah in Kullu district, a Jeep was swept away in water. Several roads of Kullu district were blocked because of landslide and snowfall.

2-day holiday in educational institutes 

  • The authorities have urged residents to stay indoors for the next few days until the weather clears up. A two-day holiday has been declared in all educational institutions
  • Lahaul Spiti has been cut off from the rest of the state since December 2018 because of heavy snowfall at the 13,050-feet-high Rohtang pass. All routes within the district are also lying closed since the past many days
  • Bad weather is hindering airlifting of stranded people, patients and even the collection of information about mishaps and losses incurred

Roads blocked in Kullu 

Kullu: Rain in the lower areas and snowfall in the higher hills blocked most roads in the state. Rivulets and nullahs were flooded. The road between Kullu and Manali witnessed landslides at various places due to the ongoing road widening work. Heavy vehicles going towards Manali were stuck near Babeli as boulders blocked the road. Buses did not ply and commuters had to face a harrowing time. The Aut-Luhri national highway is also closed. Meanwhile, residents preferred to remain indoors. Educational institutions will remain closed till February 22. The Air-India flight operating between Delhi and Kullu was also cancelled. OC

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