Dry spell ends after more than two months; strong winds damage rooftops in several villages
Mahinder Patyal
Bharmour
The tribal region of Bharmour witnessed a dramatic change in weather on Thursday night as strong winds swept across several panchayats, blowing away rooftops in Poolan, Badgram, Aura, Tunda, and Runkothi. Tehsildar Bharmour, Tej Raj, confirmed that reports of damage have been received and assessments are underway.
By Friday morning, snowfall began across the entire subdivision. By evening, Bharmour town recorded nearly one foot of fresh snow. Villages including Malkauta, Kugti, Balmui, Supa, Garima, and Ulansa saw up to 1.5 feet, while the revered Bharmani Mata Temple and Kartik Swami Temple in Kugti received two feet. Higher peaks around Bharmour were blanketed with three feet, and the sacred Manimahesh Dal Lake witnessed nearly four feet of heavy snowfall.
The fresh spell has brought the region under intense cold but ended a prolonged dry period of over two months. Farmers and orchardists expressed joy, as the snowfall is expected to fulfill the chilling hours required for apple crops and benefit winter crops such as peas, wheat, barley, and mustard.
Essential services like water supply remain functional, though electricity has become intermittent. The Public Works Department in Bharmour and the National Highway Authority in Chamba have deployed machinery to keep roads open. On Friday, bus services operated up to Lahal, while smaller vehicles managed to reach Bharmour. Junior Engineer Gajan Rana of the National Highway Authority stated that once the weather clears, sand will be spread on the Lahal–Bharmour stretch to restore bus services fully.
