Himachal Pradesh Monday recorded its second snowfall of the season, leading to the closure of 15 roads, including two National Highways, even as a tourist died when his vehicle skidded on the icy road and collided with a parked tipper in the Lahaul Spiti district. Hoteliers, farmers and agriculture experts, however, welcomed the snowfall and light precipitation that the state received over last 48 hours saying it bodes well for tourism and the upcoming fruit crops. As per the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), 15 roads, including NH-3, which connects Kullu Valley and Lahaul-Spiti, and Firozpur-Shipki La NH-5, were blocked for vehicular traffic in Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti districts. Among others, six roads in Kangra and two each in Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur and Una too were closed, even as 18 transformers were disrupted. A tourist, identified as Bhishan Garg (49), a resident of New Delhi, was killed and three others injured Sunday night when the vehicle they were in skidded and collided with a parked tipper in the Lahaul & Spiti district, police said. The accident occurred when the driver of their vehicle tried to overtake the vehicles stranded in traffic. The car skidded as road had turned slippery due to the snow freezing over, they said. The Lahaul and Spiti police have asked the commuters to maintain low speeds, avoid abrupt braking, and heed weather advisories to prevent tragedies. Earlier, 72 roads out of the 87 that were closed following season's first snowfall were thrown open by by 5 pm on Sundaa. In Shimla district alone, 58 roads were blocked, followed by 17 in Kinnaur and six in Kangra. Key blocked routes in Shimla included the Dhalli-Chharabra-Kufri road, Shimla-Chopal road, Narkanda road, and Chanshal road. Besides roadblocks, 457 electricity supply lines were affected leading to power outage in several parts of the state. Farmers and agriculture experts, meanwhile, said the snowfall and rain was good as they eliminate dryness in the weather, which is beneficial for upcoming fruit crops. Dr Usha Sharma, a senior scientist at Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, said, “Although the snowfall was light, it is beneficial for crops, particularly stone fruits and apples, as it provides necessary moisture to the plants. More snowfall, combined with rainfall in the coming days, will further enhance crop health. Fruits like cherries, peaches, apricots, and plums also require chilling hours and moisture similar to apples”. Fruit grower Rakesh Dhinta from Chopal in Shimla said, “This snowfall is a good sign, but we need more consistent snowfall at intervals. There were concerns about inadequate chilling hours affecting apple crops this year. If Shimla, the hub of apple production, receives more snowfall, next year’s yield will be timely and abundant.” The weather department reported that Shimla city received 2.5 cm of snowfall. Khadrala and Jubbal in Shimla recorded 5 cm of snowfall, while Chopal received 4 cm. The state’s highest snowfall, 6.7 cm, was recorded at Koksar in Lahaul & Spiti district. As per the SEOC, mountain passes and higher altitudes too received snow, leading to a drop in minimum temperatures by four to six degrees with Tabo recording a bone chilling low of minus 12.3 degrees Celsius. The lower hills received light rainfall, with Kandaghat, Kasauli, Jubbarhatti and Mandi recording 2.2 mm, 2 mm, 1.9 mm, and 1.4 mm of rain, respectively. Meanwhile, the police rescued four women and a taxi driver who were struck due to heavy snowfall on their return from Kamrunag temple in Mandi district. These women from Shimla had hired a Swift Dzire taxi and were returning after offering worship at the temple and suddenly, heavy snowfall started and their vehicle struck in the snow. They contacted their families, who informed the Gohar police and a rescue team was rushed and some local people also headed for the spot. The police acted swiftly and the women and the taxi driver were rescued and shifted to safer places, Gohar police station incharge Lal Chan Thakur said. The police have advised the people not to go to Kamrunag temple till the weather clears. The IMD has forecast light rain and snowfall at isolated places in Lahaul-Spiti, Chamba, Kinnaur, Kangra, Shimla, Mandi, and Kullu districts on Monday. Dry weather is expected to prevail in the rest of the state for the next seven days. Minimum and maximum temperatures are likely to drop by 2-3°C in many parts of the state over the next 48 hours. Dense fog is expected in some areas, including the Bhakra Dam reservoir in Bilaspur district and the Balh Valley in Mandi district, during early morning and late-night hours. A cold wave is also predicted in isolated pockets of the plains and lower hills on Tuesday and Wednesday. Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) services in the state’s upper reaches, particularly in Shimla, were affected due to slippery roads. Drivers have been advised to avoid driving until the snow is cleared or melts. Despite the inclement weather, Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap confirmed that all schools in Shimla will remain open on Monday. He assured that the district administration is prepared to handle any challenges, and efforts are ongoing to clear the remaining blocked roads.
