Himachal snow fallout: 275 roads, including three highways, blocked

Tourist destinations of Narkanda, Chail, Khajjiar, Solang, Dalhousie and Triund get considerable snowfall

Overnight snowfall brought traffic to a halt beyond Rohtang Tunnel on the Manali-Leh highway, while the higher reaches of Shimla district were also cut off from the rest of the state on Friday.

Tourists at the Solang valley In Manali after fresh snowfall on Thursday. Solang got six inches of snow overnight. (Aqil Khan/HT)

Jalori Pass in Kullu got 24 inches of snowfall followed by 18 inches at Rohtang Pass, 12 inches at the South Portal of Atal Tunnel and six inches of snow at the North Portal. Malana got seven inches of snow, while Chhitkul and Solang got six inches each and Sangla got five inches of snow.

Lahaul-Spiti superintendent of police Manav Verma said: “Following snowfall, the Manali-Leh national highway, Darcha-Shinku La and Udaipur-Killar (Pangi) state highways have been closed for all types of vehicular traffic.”

Commuters advised caution

National Highway 505 is closed from Graphu to Kaza and open for four-wheel drive vehicles from Sumdo to Losar, he said, adding that the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) shall investigate and start clearance work once the weather improves. Traffic movement will be permitted after clearance from the BRO. “The police department at Lahaul and Spiti is overseeing traffic management and coordinating with the Kullu district police. Due to inclement weather, local residents and tourists have been advised caution while travelling,” he added.

Shimla’s Chanshal Pass got 12 inches of snowfall, and Dodrakwar and Churdhar 10 inches each.

In an advisory, the Shimla police said that the Theog-Chopal road was blocked near Khidki, the Theog-Rohru road near Khadapather and the Theog-Rampur stretch near Narkanda. “The Shimla-Theog road is slippery near Kufri-Galu-Fagu. Commuters are advised not to travel on these routes till the roads are cleared,” the police said.

Most roads blocked in Lahaul-Spiti

Tourist destinations, including Narkanda, Chail, Khajjiar, Shikari Devi, Dalhousie, and Triund, also got considerable snowfall.

State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) director Sudesh Kumar Mokhta said 275 roads, including three highways, are blocked across the state due to snowfall.

A maximum of 177 roads are blocked in Lahaul-Spiti district alone, 64 in Shimla and 13 in Mandi.

Several remote areas face a power shutdown with snags reported in 330 transformers due to the snowfall in the state.