Kinnaur
The weather that has been raining continuously for the last three days has now increased the difficulties of thousands of people. Due to heavy snowfall in the tribal district of Kinnaur, life has been disrupted. There has been fresh snowfall of about sixty centimeters in the district, due to which all the roads of the district have been blocked for traffic. Darkness has spread in most of the rural areas of the district.
On the other hand, NHAI, the Border Roads Organization, and the Public Works Department are engaged in restoring the obstructed roads. Due to heavy snowfall, the district administration on Friday issued orders to keep all the schools of the district closed. It is worth noting that the snowfall and rain that had continued since last Wednesday continued for the third day on Friday. Fresh snowfall of 45 to 60 cm has been recorded in most of the high-altitude areas of Kinnaur district.
Fresh snowfall of 60 cm was recorded in Chitkul, Kafnu, and Kunnocharang of the district on Friday, 30 cm in Kalpa, and 45 cm in Sangla. Due to snowfall, the cold wave has increased in the entire district. Due to snowfall and rain, the National Highway has been blocked at many places from Panch Chaura to Sumra. The NH has been blocked due to landslides and rocks falling from the hill in Nigulsari, Nathpa, Panginala, Purvni Jhulla, Tinku Nala, and other places in the district.
The work of restoring the NH blocked due to rain and snowfall is not being started. At the same time, 97 roads of the Kalpaa and blocks of the district and 29 roads of the Bhavanagar subdivision have been blocked for traffic. Due to the blockage of roads, the difficulties of thousands of people in the district have increased, and they are facing difficulties in commuting. At the same time, electricity lines have been damaged at many places in the district due to snowfall. In such a situation, darkness has spread in most of the areas of the district.
433 DTRs of the Electricity Board are closed, and only 29 DTRs are running in other areas, including the district headquarters. On the other hand, NHAI, the Border Roads Organisation, and the Public Works Department are engaged in road restoration, but due to continuous snowfall and rain, road restoration remains risky. A total of 24 machines and about 400 laborers have been deployed to restore the rural roads of the district, including the NH. Deputy Commissioner Kinnaur Dr. Amit Kumar Sharma said that schools were closed on Friday due to snowfall in the district. If the weather continues to rain like this on Saturday, then the schools will be closed. He has instructed the people of the district and tourists to avoid going to high-altitude places. On the other hand, XEN KL Suman of NHAI Rampur, OC Pradeep Singh of Border Roads Organisation Powari, XEN Anand Kumar Sharma of PWD Bhavanagar, and XEN Kalpa DK Sen said that efforts are being made to restore the obstructed roads on a war footing.
