M A I N   N E W S

Taps freeze in Shimla
75 cm of snowfall in Manali
Tribune Reporters and agencies

Under sub-zero temperature, labourers clear snow from a road in Shimla on Saturday. — Photo AD

This is after many years that the town and the adjoining areas had such a high snowfall during this part of the year. Tourists from Chandigarh and other areas reached here in good numbers and played in snow. Many of them trekked to the Jakhoo temple, which is the highest point in the town and was covered under a thick sheet of snow.

All places in the interior of the district beyond Shimla remained cut off as snow blocked the roads. Vehicular traffic remained paralysed.

Fruit growers are in high spirits because of the snow although it was a delayed one. This would particularly help apple, peach, apricot and other such crops as it was beneficial for them.

Dr S.P Bhardwaj, Additional Director of the fruit research station at Mashobra, said the heavy snow was a sign of prosperity. It was beneficial for apple plants because snow gradually releases water in the soil to meet the chilling hours for a good flowering. He said 32.6 cm of snowfall was recorded at the research station in Mashobra and this was the highest in the past few years in the month of February. A total snowfall of 79.8 cm has been recorded during the past 24 days since January 16. The highest snowfall of 109 cm was recorded in February, 2000, and 94.6 cm in 1994.

Reports said the situation was worst near Kufri. More than 2 ft. of snowfall was recorded at Narkanda and 1.5 ft at Thanedar.

MANALI: Life was thrown out of gear as the tourist town and the adjoining areas experienced the season’s heaviest snowfall on Saturday. It was the heaviest snowfall after a gap of about five years. Manali recorded about 75 cm of snowfall at the time of filing of this report.

Due to a heavy snowfall, all Manali-bound buses suspended their journey at Kalath, about 8 km from here, causing great inconvenience to the passengers. Vehicular traffic remained suspended for the third day today on the Manali-Kothi and the Manali-Naggar (Left bank) road.

The famous ski slopes of the Solang valley also recorded about three to four feet of snowfall. The snow on the Solang ski slopes brought cheers to ski lovers who have come from different parts of the country to participate in the sub junior National Winter Games and Himachal ski cup-2002. The entire Kulu valley continued to face the rigours of the winter following a heavy snowfall at the Rohtang pass and the high peaks surrounding the valley. The heavy snowfall has gladdened orchardists and farmers as they now expect a good crop.

SRINAGAR: The 300-km Srinagar-Jammu National Highway reopened to traffic on Saturday morning after a two-day closure following heavy snow even as life remained paralysed in the Kashmir valley. Only vehicles going from Jammu to Srinagar will be allowed.

Life in the valley remained paralysed as electricity, water supply, power supply and road communication in most areas, including major parts of the Srinagar city, remained affected even 72 hours after snow.

Most link routes in the city remained under snow disrupting movement of people.

Two-way traffic on the highway was likely to resume on Sunday.

Srinagar-Delhi flights had resumed on Friday evening after snow was cleared.

A “high avalanche danger” warning has been, however, sounded in Doda, Poonch, Rajouri, Kupwara, Anantnag, Pulwama, Kargil, Leh and Udhampur districts.