Higher reaches of Himachal experience fresh snowfall, 280 roads and five national highways closed
High reaches of Himachal Pradesh experienced fresh snowfall and widespread downpours increasing the coldwave in the night hours.
Report arriving here said that Hatu, Khadrala, Chanshal pass, and Dodrakawar in Shimla, and many places in Lahaul Spiti, Kinnaur, Kullu, Kangra, and Chamba wrapped in a thick blanket of snowfall.
In the state capital Shimla it was misty and mainly sunny on Thursday, the Met Office also predicted partly cloudy weather today and forecast of light rain and snowfall in the high reaches.
According to the state disaster management authority on March 14, 2024, as many as 280 roads and five national highways are closed due to snowfall in Himachal Pradesh. Of these, 255 roads are closed in Lahaul-Spiti. Of these, 139 roads are in Spiti division, 71 in Lahaul, and 45 in Udaipur.
Traffic is not being restored on 10 roads in Kinnaur, six in Kullu, five in Pangi of Chamba, two in Mandi, and one in Shimla. Similarly, 280 power transmission lines were also down in the state due to inclement weather.
During recent rain, avalanches, rolling down of boulders, and shooting stones in the inclement weather. Eight people were killed and two went missing due to landslides caused by heavy rains in various parts of Himachal Pradesh. The situation was not conducive to allowing traffic on almost 530 roads and three national highways in the winter.
People are likely to get respite from coldwave conditions and inclement weather conditions as a forecast of mainly dry weather conditions was made for the next three days. The minimum temperature of Shimla was recorded around five degrees Celsius today.
