DHARAMSHALA/SHIMLA: Cold wave conditions prevailed across Himachal Pradesh as popular tourist destinations of Shimla, Kufri and Dalhousie received overnight spells of snow, while the lower hills were battered by rain on Saturday.
Shimla superintendent of police Omapati Jamwal said that traffic was halted beyond Kufri, Narkanda and Kharapathar due to the snow. The road to Chopal town was also closed at Khidki.
With 6cm of snowfall, the minimum temperature in Shimla was 0.2 degree Celsius. Kufri, 14km uphill from the state capital, got 20 cm of snowfall.
Shimla also experienced 20.5mm of rainfall later.
Dalhousie got 20cm of snowfall, Kalpa 16.6cm and Chail 6cm, respectively.
Several roads in Kinnaur, Kullu, Chamba and Lahaul-Spiti are also closed for traffic.
Three people were rescued from their ‘dhara (kutcha house)’ in Lakkar Bazaar near Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital in Shimla when a landslide triggered by rain and snow occurred around 4am on Saturday, the SP said.
KEYLONG COLDEST IN STATE
Keylong, the administrative centre of Lahaul and Spiti district, was the coldest place in the state at minus 5.2 degrees Celsius.
Kufri recorded a low of minus 1.6 degrees, Kalpa minus 3.9 degrees, Manali minus 0.6, Dalhousie 0.1 and Chail 0.5 degree Celsius.
Palampur recorded a minimum temperature of 5 degrees and Dharamshala 5.6 degrees Celsius.
Dharamshala received a maximum of 42.4mm of rainfall, followed by Dalhousie 32mm, Kangra 27.5mm, Palampur 25.4mm, Hamirpur 20mm, Chamba 19mm and Solan 15mm of rainfall.
Shimla meteorlogical centre director Manmohan Singh said the minimum temperatures remained 3-4 degrees Celsius below normal and maximum temperatures saw a dip 4-5 degrees below normal.
The weather will remain dry in the plains till March 18, while the middle and higher reaches will continue to experience rain and snow through the week.
SNOW-CLEARING OPERATIONS HAMPERED
The snowfall has hampered the snow-clearance operation on the Manali-Leh highway being undertaken by Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
The BRO started the work on February 20 and traffic towards Rohtang Pass was expected to be restored by mid-March, which would now be delayed as the operation will have to be started afresh.
SQUALL DAMAGES PROPERTY,
SNAPS POWER SUPPLY
High-velocity winds have damaged private and public property besides snapping power supply in parts of the state.
Nearly 50 houses were damaged as their rooftops were blown away in Chamba, Hamirpur, Kullu and Shimla.
As many as 250 electricity transformers have malfunctioned, snapping power supply to several villages.
