Himachal Public Works Department cancels leave of its 15,000 employees as heavy snowfall paralyses transport services; over 600 roads blocked
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The Newz Radar
SHIMLA: With heavy snow in various parts of Himachal Pradesh over the past few days disrupting normal life. The state Public Works Department has adopted emergency measures, including cancelling the leave of its about 15,000 employees and deploying them on the field to clear blocked roads.
In addition, dedicated offices have been established in various divisions to disseminate information regarding road closures through the office of the Engineer-in-Chief.
The snowfall has led to the closure of more than 600 roads across various districts, including Shimla, Chamba, Kullu, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti. The department has pressed into service about 500 dozers and JCB workers to clear national highways, state highways, district and link roads. The government has set a 24-hour target for workers to restore maximum roads. Daily updates are being collected from superintending and executive engineers to monitor progress.
According to reports from the Public Works Department, the district-wise breakdown of road closures is as follows: 157 roads in Lahaul-Spiti, 133 in Shimla, 71 in Kullu, 56 in Chamba, 51 in Mandi, six in Kinnaur and one in Kangra.
The heavy snowfall has severely disrupted the services of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC), affecting approximately 640 routes of the corporation. Particularly hard-hit districts include Kullu, Shimla, Mandi and Chamba. Three Volvo bus services have been suspended due to road closures, with 76 buses stranded on various routes across the state. Nighttime operations have been particularly challenging due to freezing water causing slippery roads.
To mitigate the impact on passengers, the HRTC is rerouting buses to district Kinnaur and Rampur via Basantpur. However, the suspension of night bus services on certain routes, including the Delhi-Rampur and Delhi-Rohru routes, has further compounded transportation woes.
