Himachal weather update: Four national highways, 473 roads blocked as state sees clear sky after six days on rain, snow

The Newz Radar

SHIMLA: Following six days of rain and snowfall, the weather has finally cleared in Himachal Pradesh even as transportation and electricity challenges remain for the residents as well as the tourists visiting the state. A warning for avalanches has been issued in the higher reaches of Kullu and Lahaul valley, including near the Atal Tunnel.

Despite the respite in weather conditions, parts of several Himachal districts, including Shimla, Kullu, Chamba, Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Mandi and Kangra, continue to grapple with hardships. Roads are blocked and buses remain stranded at numerous locations, compelling people to traverse on foot.

As of Tuesday (February 6, 2024) afternoon, four national highways and 473 roads were closed for traffic in the state. Furthermore, 398 power transformers are yet to be restored, leading to outages in various areas. As many as 38 water supply schemes have been disrupted. Lahaul-Spiti district tops the list with 153 blocked roads, followed by 134 in Shimla, 68 in Kullu, 61 in Chamba and 46 in Mandi.

The Public Works Department has directed divisional and sub-divisional level assistant and executive engineers to expedite the restoration of snow-closed roads, with a mandate to reopen national highways and state roads as soon as possible. Currently, the department has deployed 15,000 employees to clear the snow.

The Meteorological Centre, Shimla, has forecast clear weather across Himachal Pradesh until February 12, providing relief to farmers and orchardists to resume fieldwork. The significant increase in the maximum temperature over the last 24 hours, albeit remaining below average, indicates a positive turn for the agricultural and horticultural sectors. Additionally, the heavy snowfall has replenished glaciers, fostering environmental rejuvenation.
The minimum temperatures in Shimla was recorded at 0.8°C, Kalpa at -5.4°C, Dharamshala 3.2°C, Una 3.5, Nahan 6.1, Palampur 1, Solan 1.6, Narkanda -3.4, Manali 0.9, Kangra 3.5, Kukumseri -8.6, Mandi 4.1, Bilaspur 6.9, Hamirpur 3.3, Chamba 3, Kufri -1.7, Bharmour -2.2 and Reckong Peo -1.5.