The tourist town of Manali and other parts of upper Kullu valley plunged into darkness due to repeated power cuts on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The power cuts put the tourists and locals into inconvenience in the absence of heating arrangements in hotels.
Rahul Moitra, a tourist from Kolkata, said the state electricity board should avoid power cuts in tourist towns like Manali.
Tourists staying in hotels had to wait for restoration of power supply by standing around the bonfire lit outside the hotels for hours together.
The power shutdown has also affected the business in local banks, government offices and commercial establishments.
Besides, locals, who did not have heating arrangements such as bukharis and tandoors and fuel wood were also hit in the absence of power.
Indoor patients admitted to local private and government hospitals were also put to inconvenience for want of power supply in the town.
MC Thakur, a local hotelier, said power cuts have adversely affected their business. He sought regular and adequate supply of power in Manali and other parts of Upper Kullu Valley.
VS Thakur, executive engineer, HPSEB, Manali, said they had to resort to power shutdown on the demand of Parbati Hydel power project, which had started laying of overhead cables in Kullu and Mandi areas.
{{/usCountry}}VS Thakur, executive engineer, HPSEB, Manali, said they had to resort to power shutdown on the demand of Parbati Hydel power project, which had started laying of overhead cables in Kullu and Mandi areas.
{{/usCountry}}He said alternate arrangements had been made to supply power from the Malana hydropower project to facilitate the local power consumers.