HRTC bus service to Rohru, Chopal, Narkanda resumes

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 14

Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) resumed its bus services to Chopal, Rohru and Narkanda from Shimla after three days on Monday as the weather became sunny, the roads were cleared of snow. But Manali, as per the Met Office report, received 2 cm of snow in the wee hours on Monday.

The HRTC plied buses on the main routes after the PWD cleared the snow mainly on the higher stretches of the roads. But on many link roads, the bus es remained off the road as the PWD was yet to clear the snow on the roads located in the higher altitude.

However, commuters, expressed concern that the road between Chambi and Khirki, Kharapathar and Nihari, Baghi and Narkanda and Umla Dwar were slippery due to the layer of ice on the road. The PWD had not yet spread enough quantity of sand on the road to make it safe for travelling.

They said the layer of ice on the road was formed as the night temperatures dipped to the sub-zero level in Chambi, Khirki, Charki, Kharapathar and Nihari, Baghi, Narkanda and Umla Dwar, which were located over 9,000 ft to 11,000 ft height. The layer of ice made travel risky, they added.

The PWD does not have enough labour force to spread sand and bajri on the road. At times, it is difficult for two vehicles to cross the road at these high spots as the road remains narrow making it dangerous for travelling, they added.

PWD engineers claimed that they were deploying machines for carrying out the restoration works on these stretches every time it snowed. “We have stocked quantities of sand at key locations to make the work easier and have covered most of the stretches”, they added.

HRTC Divisional Manager Anil Sharma said the HRTC had resumed its bus services to Chopal, Rohru, Narkanda after the road was cleared of snow. But the link routes to higher areas were yet to be restored due to snow, he added.

The Met Office weather report revealed that the weather remained sunny and warm throughout the day in the city and the state as a whole with the exception of Manali, which received 2 cm snow in the wee hours. The weather will be clear on Tuesday, it added.

Keylong with its minimum temperature of -12 degree Celsius remained the coldest in Himachal followed by Kalpa with -8.2 degree Celsius. Shimla had a minimum temperature of 1.0 degree Celsius, Kufri -2.9 degree Celsius, Manali -5 degree Celsius and Chail recorded 0.7 degree Celsius, Palampur 1. 0 degree Celsius, Dalhousie had a minimum temperate of 0.0 degree Celsius.