Met dept forecasts a white New Year in HP

Popular tourist spots in Himachal,including Shimla and Manali,may have missed a white Christmas,but the meteorological department forecasts possibility of snow in higher reaches of the state around New Year.

Popular tourist spots in Himachal,including Shimla and Manali,may have missed a white Christmas,but the meteorological department forecasts possibility of snow in higher reaches of the state around New Year.

Met Director Manmohan Singh said higher reaches of Shimla,Kullu,Mandi,Kangra,Chamba,Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts were likely to witness mild to moderate spells of snow around December 31 and January 1.

Strong western disturbances moving over Afghanistan and Pakistan are likely to hit the state around December 29 and their impact will be more around the New Years eve, said Singh.

The state has been reeling under cold conditions for the last few weeks. With no rainfall in the last two months,farmers and horticulturists are eagerly waiting for rain and snow to raise hopes for a good Rabi crop and a fruit season,respectively.

Last snowfall in Shimla was recorded on January 13,2010. Tourists have already started to throng Shimla,Kullu-Manali and Dharamsala.

The forecast has brought cheers for the tourism industry,though it has put the government on alert for preparation of Panchayati Raj Institution polls,scheduled from December 28-30.

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