Snowfall in Shimla brings cheer to tourism, farming sectors; 30 roads closed in Himachal

Shimla, Dec 23 (PTI) Shimla on Monday recorded the season’s second light snowfall while some other parts of the state received intermittent rain and snow.

The nearby tourist spots of Kufri and Narkanda and the higher reaches of Kharapathar, Chaurdhar and Chanshal South portal of the Atal tunnel, and Samdho also received snowfall.

Shimla recorded 8 cm of snowfall while Kalpa recorded 7 cm. A few areas in Himachal Pradesh’s lower hills received light intermittent rain, the Met office said.

The snow led to the closure of 30 roads, including the national highways between Attari and Leh, and Khab Sangam in Kinnaur district and Gramphoo in Lahaul and Spiti district, the State Emergency Operation Centre said.

A maximum 17 roads were closed in Shimla, followed by six in Kangra, three in Una, two in Lahaul and Spiti, and one each in Kullu and Chamba districts. Six transformers were also disrupted.

The snowfall brought cheer to tourists, locals and farmers.

Clad in heavy woolen clothes, locals stepped out to enjoy the snow under an overcast sky as icy winds swept the region. Tourists were also seen enjoying the snowfall.

The Met had forecast rain and snow in the mid and higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh on Monday, Tuesday and Friday and Saturday.

The snow also brought cheer to apple growers. Often called “white manure”, the snowfall raised hope for good yields in the upper Shimla region.

Apple farming contributes about Rs 5,000 crore to Himachal Pradesh’s economy.

Tourism stakeholders said the snowfall was also expected to boost footfall.

Local hotelier Sushant Nag said occupancy was set to rise as snowfall drew tourists.

Another Shimla-based hotelier Rahul Chawla said the snowfall ahead of Christmas and predictions of more in the coming days could lead to a 50 per cent increase in tourist arrivals.

Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholders’ Association president MK Seth, who had earlier said there were heavy bookings for Christmas, reiterated that tourists were making a beeline for the town.

In a related development, an intense cold wave persisted in the lower hills, including Una, Hamirpur, Chamba and Mandi.

Mandi and Sundernagar also witnessed shallow fog, the Met office said.

It also issued an ‘orange’ warning for severe cold in Bilaspur, Una, Hamirpur and Mandi till Thursday.

Tabo was the coldest place in the state, recording a minimum temperature of minus 10.6 degrees Celsius, followed by Sumdo (minus 5.3 degrees), Kukumseri (minus 3.7 degrees) and Kalpa (minus 2.5 degrees).

There was a marked fall in maximum temperatures. Una recorded the highest day temperature of 16.8 degrees Celsius.

Police in Lahaul and Spiti advised tourists to avoid travelling from Kaza to Losar, Kaza to Kibber, Kaza to Komic and Langcha, Kaza to Demul and Kaza to Sangam.

A ‘yellow’ warning was issued for dense fog over parts of the Bhakra dam reservoir area and the Balh Valley in Mandi from Tuesday to Thursday.

Thick ground frost is expected in isolated parts of the lower hills during this period.

The Met office said an active western disturbance was likely to affect the western Himalayan region and adjoining plains from Friday.

Light rain and snow are likely at many isolated places on Monday and Saturday and at isolated places on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, causing a gradual fall in temperatures, it said.

The high-altitude tribal areas and mountain passes continued to experience biting cold, with temperatures plummeting 14 to 18 degrees below freezing point, the Met office said.

Water pipes froze at many places in the mid and the higher hills while natural sources of water of snow-fed rivers froze, reducing discharge and affecting hydropower generation.

The post-monsoon rain deficit from October 1 to December 23 stood at 97 per cent, with Himachal Pradesh receiving 2.3 mm rainfall against a normal of 69.2 mm.