Abhinav Vashisht
Kullu, December 6
Manali town experienced the first snowfall of the season on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. The snowfall started around midnight and continued intermittently till 3 am. The town recorded around 2 inch of snow that was washed away by rain by noon today. The Solang Nullah received around six inch of snowfall. The higher reaches covered with snow presented a more scenic and panoramic view.
Tourists were elated to witness snow. Nehru Kund and Palchan near Manali witnessed a heavy rush of tourists while some revellers also visited the Solang Nullah. A tourist from Haryana said that they prolonged their stay after witnessing snowfall for the first time in their life.
Another tourist from Delhi said that Manali was rightly called ‘mini Switzerland’. The snow would give a boost to the Christmas and New Year season and the beneficiaries of the tourism industry were hopeful that the tourist footfall would increase.
Power lines were also damaged in some areas due to the snowfall. However, there was no report of any major damage caused due to the inclement weather.
Meanwhile, the Kullu district administration did not allow any vehicle to cross the Atal Tunnel on the Manali-Leh National Highway today, as approach roads had become slippery, making commuting risky. The Aut-Luhri highway was also blocked at the Jalori Pass.
Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.