Traffic halted beyond Manali, link to Lahaul valley snapped

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, December 28

The fresh snowfall in Manali and its nearby areas today cheered the tourists as well as hoteliers. Manali received 15 cm snowfall while the Solang valley had around 30 cm of snow. Atal Tunnel also got more than 30 cm snow.

The room occupancy is almost full in wake of New Year and tourists are facing difficulties in getting rooms in Manali.

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Tourists were seen throwing snowballs at one another on the Mall road.

Due to the snowfall, the traffic was halted beyond Manali towards the Solang valley and Atal Tunnel in view of public safety. The Border Roads Organisation has engaged its workforce and machinery to clear the road for traffic between Manali and Keylong. The Lahaul valley was cut off from the state.

The tourists visiting here were excited. Rajan Singh and his wife Kalpna, who arrived here from Uttar Pradesh, told The Tribune: “it was an amazing experience to enjoy the scenic beauty of Manali and its nearby places amid snow. However, we could not move to the Solang valley or Atal Tunnel because the local administration had restricted the traffic movement beyond Manali.”

The Jalori Pass in Banjar, Kullu district, received 30 cm snow, which cut off Anni and Nirmand from the district headquarters. Several HRTC bus services were suspended.