Shimla, Jan 31 (PTI) More than 350 roads, including three national highways, have been blocked due to the recent snowfall in the higher reaches and tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh, officials said on Tuesday.
In the past 24 hours, 140 out of the more than 450 roads that were blocked due to the snowfall have been opened, they said, adding that 357 still remain closed.
The maximum 154 roads are blocked in Lahaul and Spiti, 86 in Shimla, 73 in Kinnaur, 26 in Kullu, 13 in Chamba, three in Mandi and two in Kangra district, officials said.
According to the data of the state emergency operation centre, 540 transformers and 34 water supply schemes were also disrupted across the state.
Man and machinery has been deployed in snow-bound areas and road clearing operations are going on in full swing, said Public Works Department officials.
Pooh and Kalpa in tribal Kinnaur received 11 cm and 8.6 cm of snow respectively, Khadrala in Shimla district 6 cm and Kukumseri and Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti received 4.8 cm and 3 cm respectively, the Met office said.
Widespread intermittent rains lashed parts of mid and low hills, with Chamba receiving 55.5 mm rainfall, the wettest in the region. It was followed by Dharamshala 25.3 mm, Kangra 20.6 mm, Manali 9 mm and Palampur 6.6 mm, it said.
The region received an average 86.2 mm rain against a normal of 85.3 mm excess of one per cent, it said.
There was an appreciable rise in maximum temperatures and Bilaspur was hottest during the day with a high of 25 degrees Celsius while key tourist resorts of Dalhousie, Manali, Shimla and Dharamshala recorded a maximum temperature at 9, 11.5, 13.9 degree and 20 degrees Celsius, it said.
Barring light rain and snow at isolated places in mid and high hills on February 2, the local Met office has predicted dry weather in the state till February 4.
The apple growers in upper Shimla and Kinnaur are happy as snow, considered white manure for the apple, is beneficial for the fruit.
However, the tourism industry which was expecting an increase in the footfall following snowfall was unhappy as snowfall eluded Shimla. PTI BPL TDS TDS