Heavy snowfall throws life out of gear

Heavy snowfall followed by a clear icy night froze the middle and higher hills of Himachal Pradesh, disrupting life on Sunday. Life in the state capital Shimla was crippled despite the moderate snowfall forcing locals and tourists to remain indoors.

There were no vehicles plying until noon on the frozen roads and the previous nights vehicles were barred from plying. The icy winds froze the water pipes and has resulted in electricity failure.

“The mercury fell to minus 3.3 centigrade on Sunday,” said Manmohan Singh, the head of the Indian meteorological department here. The Hindustan Tibet highway beyond Shimla has been blocked since Friday. The ski resorts of Kufri and Narkanda have received heavy snowfall in the last two days. Heavy snowfall was also recorded in Manali.

Officials said the road leading to Manali beyond Kullu was blocked for vehicles due to which the town is cut-off from the rest of the country. Snowfall has also been reported in Dalhousie, Chail and Dharamsala, in the Kangra valley, recorded its first snowfall in over a decade.