Heavy snowfall and rains in several parts of Himachal Pradesh

Shimla: The entire tribal belt of Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur, Pangi and Bharmaur and upper areas of Shimla, Kullu and Sirmaur were cut off from rest of the state while mid and higher hills today received second heavy snowfall of the season and the lower hills experienced widespread rains.

The Rohtang, Kunzam, Saach, Chansel and other high mountain passes and sprawling Dhauladhar ranges in Kangra and Churdhar ranges in Sirmaur experienced heavy snowfall and normal life was thrown out of gear in higher hills, official sources said.

The vehicular traffic to upper Shimla region was suspended in the morning and efforts are on to open the Hindustan-Tibet highway upto Theog while the Rohroo and Chopal roads are closed due to heavy snow at Kharapatthar and Nerwa, they said.

The mercury in the state capital dropped below the freezing point as a white blanket of snow today covered it and surrounding areas of Kufri and Narkanda.

In view of warning of heavy snowfall in mid and higher hills, the district administration has made adequate arrangements to cope up with the situation and clearing of roads of snow started even as snowfall was continuing and roads to hospital and connecting roads within the state capital were cleared.

Bharmaur and Manali recorded 55 cm and ?54 cm of snow, followed by Rohtang and Churdhar 50 cm, Kothi 45 cm, Kharapatthar and Narkanda 40 cm, Udaipur 26 cm, Theog and Saloni 25 cm Kalpa and Mashobra 22 mm, Dodra Kwar 20 cm, Shimla 17 cm and Haripurdhar 15 cm.

Lower hills of the state had widespread rains and Ghumarwin was wettest with 27 mm rains, followed by Sarkaghat 24 mm, Dharamsala 21.8 mm, Palampur and Chamba 21 mm, Bhpranj, Banjar and Kotkhai 20 mm, Berthin 18.8 mm, Sundernagar 18 mm, Kheri and Gohat 17 mm, Nirpur 16 mm, Sundernagar, Seobagh 15.2 mm, Mandi 14.2 mm, Dharampur and Sujanpur 12 mm.

The local MeT office has predicted scattered rains or snow at isolated places in mid and higher hills on January 17 and 18.