Snow blocks the Mandi-Karsog road on Saturday. Photo: Jai Kumar

Kinnaur DC Sunil Chaudhary said efforts had been made to keep supply of continuous power by making local arrangement from a power project which had ensured supply to Kalpa and Pooh areas.

Heavy snowfall in Dharamsala

Dharamsala: It was like return of the cold wave to Kangra district today. Many areas of the district in the Nurpur subdivision that is located at a distance of about 60 km from Dharamsala and is relatively a warm area adjoining Punjab, received snow after about 50 years.

Many other areas which are otherwise considered very warm, including Kangra, Jwalamukhi and Chintpurni in Una district also received 3 to 4 inches snow after many decades. Snow in the said areas was unprecedented and surprised many regarding the unusual weather phenomena.

An octogenarian from Shahpur, an area located at distance of 20 km from here, said she had witnessed snow in the area after a period of about 45 years. Before that there were reports of snow in the area in 1927.

Snowflakes started falling in lower Dharamsala town early in the morning at about 8 am. The people, who saw snow falling in lower Dharamsala after about 10 years, came out of their houses. After about half an hour, the snowfall stopped and it was replaced by rain.

However, this short break was just like lull before the storm. At about 9.30 pm the clouds once again converged in the entire area and the day was converted into darkness. This started a spell of heavy snowfall that lower Dharamsala had not witnessed in many decades. In about one hour, about 6 inch of snow was deposited everywhere. Snowflakes fell with increasing velocity. The entire traffic in Dharamsala town got choked as snow deposited on roads.

Heavy snowfall continued in the lower Dharamsala for about four hours and as per the official estimates, the area received about 2 feet snow. Due to deposition of snow many tree branches broke and fell on roads disrupting the traffic. The electricity wires also got snapped at many places.

The upper areas of Dharamsala, including McLeodganj and Dharamkot, received about 4 to 5 feet snow. The basic amenities like water supply and power were disrupted. This was coupled by influx of tourists from adjoining states who rushed to the area receiving reports of heavy snowfall.

Kangra DC RS Gupta said six JCB machines had been deployed to remove snow from roads in Dharamsala.

Nurpur gets snow after 47 years

Nurpur: Nurpur and its surrounding areas today witnessed the second snowfall after a gap of about 47 years. It was followed by heavy rain.

According to local senior citizens, this area had once experienced mild snowfall in 1964-65. The snowfall started early this morning and lasted till 9.30 am. Rural areas experienced more snowfall about 4 to 5 inches in comparison with urban areas where it reported about 2 inch. Children and youngsters came on streets and enjoyed the snowfall. The normal life in rural areas remained disrupted as people were not habitual to move on roads covered with a white blanket. The power and telecommunication network was also hit due to heavy rain and snowfall.

Meanwhile, after a prolonged dry spell the incessant rain since yesterday has brought cheers to farmers who are about to sow the wheat crop.

According to agriculture experts, this rain will prove a boon for the farming community. In some parts of the area, mango and amla trees were hit with heavy snow. SS Rana, Associate Director, Regional Horticulture Research Station, Jachh, claimed that this melting snowfall would not harm fruit trees and advised growers to cut damaged tree branches from the bottom as they would originate in the near future.

Dispelling their apprehensions, he said growers were not to worry as this snowfall would eliminate the chances of frost in the area, which was harmful for fruit trees. The incessant rain and snowfall has brought down the day temperature to 3°C on Saturday.

Palampur has first snow

PALAMPUR: Palampur town today witnessed the first snowfall of the season. Even lower areas like Bhawarna, Nagrota Bagwan, Baijnath Paprola also had snow after a gap of 15 years. The entire Palampur region is in the grip of severe cold wave. Besides, heavy rain was also reported in several parts of the region.

Upper reaches of the Kangra valley, Dhauladhar ranges and Chhotta Bara Bhangal experienced heavy snowfall in the past 24 hours disrupting normal life. Power supply and road transport were the worst affected. Entire Chhotta Bara Bhangal areas have been cut off from the rest of the country.

All roads leading to Multhan, Kothi Kohar and Kothi Swar were closed because of heavy snow at different points. Twelve buses and over 150 passengers were reportedly trapped at Multhan as the road between Ghatshani and Multhan had 1 ft snow.

Because of heavy snow and rain, restoration of roads could not be taken up till this afternoon. A spokesman of HP PWD said if whether permitted only then JCB and other snow-clearing equipment would be pressed into service.

He said there were heavy landslide on roads because of uprooting of trees.

An agriculture scientist of HP Agriculture University while briefing mediapersons here said rain and snow was beneficial for the crop. Besides, it would boost the sowing of wheat in non-irrigated areas of the Changer valley.

Snow cuts off Lahaul-Spiti

MANDI: Tribal belt of Lahaul-Spiti was cut off from the outside world as the 13,050-ft-high Rohtang Pass experienced heavy snowfall, while over nine bus routes leading from the district headquaters into Gohar and Karsog sub-divisions in Mandi and Ani sub-division in Kullu were blocked for traffic due to the snow in the area.

According to official reports, the traffic was blocked on the Karsog Rawanda road beyond Sukibai, cutting off the Karsog sub-division from Mandi. The 3-inch-deep snow made the road slippery, stranding passengers or forcing them to take return journey as it continued raining and snowing in the higher reaches.

Similarly, all routes to Janjheli in Seraj remained blocked due to snow. The lakes of Kamru Nag, Prashar and Shikari Devi experienced moderate snowfall. The Ani sub-division in Kullu district was cut off from the district headquarters due to heavy snowfall at the Jalori Pass.

Life thrown out of gear in Manali

MANALI: Normal life in most parts of the upper Manali areas remained disrupted as fresh spell of snow accompanied by high-velocity winds continued to lash the region. Manali and its adjoining areas were lashed with snowstorm last evening and this afternoon.

The vehicular traffic in the upper Manali region was disrupted due to thick layer of snow on the road. Tourists and local residents had a difficult time today on the Manali-Kullu road and Manali-Naggar (left bank road), which had a fresh spell of snow since last evening.

The traffic on the Manali-Kullu road was disrupted at several places beyond Aloo ground, about 5 km from here, today. All the local and long-route buses also suspended their journey at Aloo ground. The bus services also remained suspended between the Manali-Solang and Kothi village.

The power supply in many parts of the upper Manali region was also disrupted.

The 13,050-ft-high Rohtang Pass, the gateway to the Lahaul-Spiti valley, including the entire higher reaches, also experienced the heaviest snowfall of the season. The Solang ski slopes of the Solang valley also experienced heavy snow.

Kangra has snow after 67 years

KANGRA: Kangra town experienced snowfall after 67 years. It was in 1945 when Kangra had witnessed such a snowfall. Residents of the town came out of their houses when the flakes of snow started falling and it continued for more than two hours.

Roads witnessed a deserted look and most people remained indoors. The snowfall was reported from all over the subdivision.

Prem Kalra, a 90-year-old woman of the Hoshiyarpur road, said she was married in this temple town in 1951 and had never witnessed such a snowfall. She said her elders had being saying that there was a snowfall in this town in 1945.

Kumar Sahil, a singer came along with his friends to the tehsil chowk of this town and sang melodious songs amid snowfall. Heavy snowfall was reported from Nagrota Bagwan, Baba Baroh, Dehra, Daliara, Barwani, Kahbli and Chintpurni.

Inputs by Pratibha Chauhan, Lalit Mohan, Rajiv Mahajan, Ravinder Sood, MC Thakur and Ashok Raina.

Shimla, January 7
A good snowfall in the Queen of Hills has brought cheers to hoteliers and others associated with the tourism industry as tourists thronged the city after hearing the news of snowfall.

Tourists, especially from Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and other nearby areas, made a beeline to the town after getting reports about fresh snowfall.

Parkings in the town were overflowing with vehicles having been parked along the Cart Road and other places near hotels. The entire town, including the Jakhu hill, was covered under a white mantle since last night.

Even though the state capital did not have a White Christmas and New Year, but the snowfall since yesterday has brought smiles on the faces of hoteliers who were worried on account of poor tourist rush. Tourists enjoyed the weather as they saw snowflakes coming down throughout the day.

Hoteliers and travel agents had been praying for a good snowfall, which was their only last hope of attracting tourists.

Even the tourism authorities had admitted to the fact that tourists, especially those coming from West Bengal, Gujarat and Maharashtra, were preferring to go to Jammu and Kashmir than Himachal.

“We are hoping that there are more spells of snow during the winters that will ensure good business for hoteliers,” said Harman Kukreja, president Shimla Hoteliers’ Association.

Manali, January 7
The five-day national-level Winter Carnival-2012 will begin in Manali from January 9 to 13. The carnival will start after the worship of Goddess Hadimba at the Dungri temple, near here.

Chief Minister PK Dhumal will inaugurate the event while local MLA Govind Singh Thakur will preside over the concluding function on January 13.

While inaugurating the carnival, Dhumal will pay obeisance at the Hadimba Devi temple and flag off the cultural procession from there. The cultural procession by participating teams from various states will start from the Hadimba Devi temple in the morning and terminate at Nehru Park, popularly known as “Ram Bagh”.

The temple is not only famous among visitors, but also associates with many religious ceremonies and festivals that take place in the Kullu valley.

Manali SDM Balbir Thakur, who is also the vice-chairman of the Winter Carnival Committee, said several new attractions were being added to the carnival to woo tourists and local people this year. As many as 1,200 participants from across the country were likely to perform at the carnival.

Teams from various colleges, universities and clubs were taking part in different cultural events, he said.

He added that the carnival was aimed at showcasing the rich Himachal culture. The Mall Road, from the Ram Bagh to the Ibex Chowk, would be covered with participants to host different cultural activities during the carnival.

A singing competition, “Voice of Himalayas”, would also be organised. Himachali food festival, local band, craft bazar, folk dance performances, folk songs street play contest, and “Winter Queen” contest would be other attractions of the carnival, he added.

The snow festival will be another attraction during the carnival. The Himachal Pradesh Winter Games Association will also organise World Snow Day by hosting skiing and other snow-related winter sports at the Solang ski slopes.

Shimla, January 7
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has declined to grant any interim relief to Union Minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh in the alleged CD case.

However, the high court has declined to stay the proceedings pending before the Special Judge, Shimla, in the case and observed that the trial court may proceed further under various provisions of the CrPC.

The court made it clear that in case the charges are framed, further steps in the case shall be taken only after the disposal of the writ petition.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice VK Ahuja observed that the trial court had already summoned the petitioners by the order of October 23, 2010.

The court observed that the next stage was the consideration of charges and having not challenged the order under summoning orders of October 23, 2010, the petitioners have to face the next stage of consideration of charges.

The court added that the trial court had posted the case for consideration of charges. The court observed that the legal position, consideration of the police charge and the documents sent therewith was the exercise to be undertaken by the trial court.

It observed that the trial court was free to examine the petitioner, but the prosecution and the petitioner be given an opportunity for hearing.

The order was passed on a petition filed for quashing of the FIR registered by the State Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau against Virbhadra Singh on August 3, 2009.

Petitioners have argued that there was no material on record to sustain the FIR and the prosecution has failed to investigate about the origin of the alleged CD, forming basis of the case. They also claimed that their statement was never recorded.

Shimla, January 7
A demonstration was held at the local bus stand here in protest against the failure of the Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) to implement the new traffic plan.

Members of the Shimla Nagrik Sabha, along with a large number of local people, expressed resentment at the failure of the HRTC to follow the new traffic plan issued by the Deputy Commissioner. “The new traffic plan has been notified by the DC, Shimla and yet the HRTC refuses to follow it and the public continues to face inconvenience,” said Vijender Mehra, spokesperson of the sabha.

Mehra said the HRTC was not implementing the new traffic plan under pressure from the government as well as the owner of the new Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) on the bypass. “Though the DC has notified that all buses will terminate at the old bus stand after 8 pm and depart from the same place before 7 am, yet the HRTC is adamant in not following these instructions,” he said.

The protestors also urged the DC to issue directions to the HRTC to follow the new traffic plan as people were finding it very difficult to reach the new ISBT in the absence of proper connectivity in late and wee hours of the morning.

Shimla, January 7
Chief Minister PK Dhumal has expressed grief over the death of Ishwar Chand, former MLA, who died at Dehra in Kangra district.

Dhumal in his condolence message to the bereaved family said Ishwar Chand was an honest person who always devoted himself for the cause of the masses. He said the services rendered by him for the welfare of people of the area would always be remembered.

The Chief Minister also prayed for the peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family members to bear the loss.

He has also expressed grief over the death of Kuldeep Kumar, Inspector, SSB, who died at Ranikhet in Uttarakhand recently. Dhumal in his condolence message to the bereaved family said the state and country had lost an able soldier.

Shimla, January 7
Taking a serious note of the absence of two ministers and four MLAs from the party’s rally addressed by national BJP chief Nitin Gadkari at Kullu on December 30, the high command has decided to seek an explanation for their non-attendance at the event held to mark four years’ completion of the Dhumal regime in Himachal.

It is reliably learnt that the high command will shortly be issuing them notices seeking an explanation from them for skipping the rally, which was addressed by Gadkari himself. Even though Gadkari had been apprised of the development on the same day in Kullu, now the party is keen to get an official explanation from each one of them.

The two ministers Ramesh Dhwala and Kishan Kapoor and four legislators Khushi Ram Balnahata, Vipin Parmar, Praveen Sharma and Des Raj had caused quite an embarrassment to the party when all of them stayed away from the Kullu rally. With elections less than a year away, the high command is in no mood to ignore this kind of indiscipline.

Their absence only fuelled speculation about their tacit support to the leaders of the Bhrashtachar Mukti Morcha, a non-political outfit launched by some BJP leaders, including former MP Maheshwar Singh, former Speaker Radha Raman Shastri and former ministers Mahinder Singh Sofat and Shyama Sharma.

Party sources said though the ministers and MLAs, all of whom are diehard Shanta loyalists, were citing personal problems and pre-occupation with other works as the reason for their absence, the high command was refusing to accept their absence as a mere coincidence. “We refuse to buy this argument that six of them were busy on the same day as even in the past all of them had skipped the state BJP executive meeting,” remarked a senior party functionary.

The high command has been apprised of the fact that all these leaders are sympathisers of members of the Bhrashtachar Mukti Morcha, who too are from the Shanta camp. The morcha, termed as a non-political outfit, has been floated by these BJP leaders as a platform to fight corruption across party lines.

They have been levelling serious corruption allegations against some of the ministers in the Dhumal regime. They have also admitted that since they do not have a say in the party they have been forced to launch the morcha as a completely non-political outfit.

Bilaspur, January 7
The Bhrashtachar Mukti Morcha, formed in the state to expose corruption, has expressed its impatience at the delay of the BJP high command in taking action against corrupt elements in the ruling BJP in the state. It has categorically said it will be constrained to expose “black sheep” publically “within a very short time” if no action is taken on the “chargesheet with supporting documents” already submitted to the high command in Delhi a long time ago.

This was stated by morcha state convener and former Rajya Sabha member and former state BJP president Maheshwar Singh while talking to mediapersons here late last evening. Maheshwar said the morcha was charged with the objective of an election manifesto of the BJP that its governments must have zero tolerance to corruption.

Answering a question, Maheshwar said presently they had no reason to consider any proposal to float a separate party, but if the situation forced them, they would consider it. He said their “tribe” had increased from five to 50 and they planned to fan out in the entire state.

Some 50 BJP leaders drawn from most of districts, including former Speaker and Education Minister Radha Raman Shashtri (Shimla), former Transport Minister Mahender Nath Sofat (Solan), former Industries Minister Shyama Sharma (Sirmaur) and former MLAs Navin Dhiman (Kangra), KD Dharmani and KK Kaushal (both from Bilaspur), were present in the daylong meeting of the state executive committee of the morcha.

Solan, January 7
With barely 16 per cent people coming forward to avail sewage connections from the town’s first sewage scheme in Solan, it has not only remained under utilised, but has also adversely affected it’s completion.

The scheme is being executed by the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department in four zones of the town at a total cost of Rs 60 crore. The department has initially laid the sewage in almost 50 to 60 per cent of the town covering prime areas like Officers’ Colony, Madhuban Colony, Rajgarh Road, Kotla Nullah, Tank Road, Lower Bazar and Hospital Road at a cost of Rs 22 crore.

Though the work was completed in 2008, despite the presence of 1,600 households, barely 268 have come forward to avail connections, while the IPH Department has managed to connect 167 households while work was underway to link the remaining houses.

The department was, however, disheartened by the poor progress where barely 16 per cent households had come forward to avail the connections. While this would create difficulties for the department in giving utilisation certificate for availing funds for the remaining three zones as it would also delay completion of the scheme.

Executive engineer JS Chauhan said he had appealed to the people to come forward and avail the connections as their individual sewers were malfunctioning, overflowing and letting out and were either partially-treated or untreated sewer in the drains and causing health concerns.

He said though the issue had been taken up several times with the municipal committee authorities, not much success had been achieved in obtaining more connections.

What deterred the people from availing sewer connections was the anticipation of high monthly bills. Though the officials felt that Rs 400 per seat and 50 per cent of the water bills was not a high cost for maintaining hygienic surroundings and avoiding tedious process of cleaning individual sewer tanks.

The poor rate of success was also attributed to some disputes where neighbours were reluctant to allow sewer lines to be laid through their premises.

Chauhan added they were circulating pamphlets among the people to increase awareness and he had also appealed to the people at the “Prashashan Janta Ke Dwar” programme where the local MLA and Health Minister Dr Rajiv Bindal was also present.

Shimla, January 7
The cash-strapped Municipal Corporation (MC), Shimla, today approved the imposition of Green Tax on all vehicles coming into the town from outside the state to generate its resources.

The MC House, which met here today, approved the move to impose Green Tax on the analogy of Manali in Shimla. The decision taken by the House will be placed before the state government for the imposition of the Green Tax.

The MC has decided that the tax would approximately generate resources to the tune of Rs 6 crore. Four barriers will be set up at various entry points at Tara Devi, Dhalli, Junga and one on the Bilaspur side to charge money from incoming vehicles.

While two-wheelers will have to pay Rs 100, cars and jeeps - Rs 200, SUVs will have to pay Rs 300 and trucks and buses - Rs 500.

The MC hopes to improve its financial health by generating over Rs 6 crore. With Shimla emerging as a weekend tourist destination, the Green Tax is likely to rake in good money.

The MC also approved the enhancement of charges being made from homes from Rs 35 to Rs 40 for collection of garbage. — TNS

Mandi, January 7
The Central Range Vigilance has booked three functionaries of Pandvi (Hamirpur) gram panchayat - former pradhan, a ward member and a panchayat secretary- and a woman beneficiary of the Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojana and charged them with misappropriating Rs 27,500 under the scheme in the name of building a house.