Himachal: Avalanche blocks Chenab flow, 652 roads closed by snow, rain

An avalanche in Lahaul and Spiti district has blocked the flow of the Chenab, adding to the woes of Himachal Pradesh, where heavy snow and rainfall have triggered more than half a dozen avalanches and landslides, forcing the closure of over 650 roads, including five national highways.

The avalanche near Dara waterfall hit Jasrat village in the early hours of Sunday (March 3), blocking the flow of the Chenab and triggering an alert in the adjoining areas, officials said. Lahaul and Spiti has reported heavy snowfall in the last 24 hours.

No casualties

The residents of the adjoining villages of Jobrang, Rapi, Jasrath, Tarand, and Tharot have been advised to stay cautious and inform the nearest police post in case of an emergency, Superintendent of Police (SP), Lahaul and Spiti, Mayank Chaudhary said.

Multiple avalanches have occurred in Lahaul and Spiti — at the Seli nallah in Rashel village, Faldi nallah in Jobrang, Cho Veer Mod in Lohni, and Tatha nallah near Udaipur village. Though no casualty has so far been reported, some shops were buried in an avalanche at the Tandi bridge in Lahaul sub-division.

652 roads closed

An avalanche was also reported from a location near the Karcham helipad in Sangla in Kinnaur district, the officials said. A total of 652 roads, including five national highways, have been closed for vehicular traffic in the hill state. Most of those (290) are in Lahaul and Spiti, followed by 149 in Shimla, 100 in Chamba, 75 in Kinnaur, 32 in Kullu, five in Mandi, and one in Kangra, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre.

People have been advised not to travel to the upper Shimla areas as the roads have become slippery due to snowfall, Shimla Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap said. He said work is underway to clear the blocked roads and resume traffic movement.

No power, comms

Heavy snowfall has disrupted electricity and communication, too, in parts of Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur, and Chamba. As many as 1,749 transformers are out of service in the state and 78 water supply schemes disrupted, according to the emergency operation centre.

Three houses, one each in Lahaul and Spiti, Solan, and Sirmaur, were damaged due to snow, rain, and lightning. The supply of essential commodities, such as milk, bread, vegetables and newspaper, was affected in the upper Shimla region.

Snowed out

According to a bulletin issued by the meteorological department in Shimla, Rohtang received the maximum snowfall in the state in the past 24 hours, measuring 150 cm.

Chitkul and Atal Tunnel recorded 120 cm of snow, Solang 75 cm, Khadrala 62 cm, Kalpa, Kaza and Moorang 60 cm each, Sangla 52.5 cm, Nichar and Gondla 45 cm each, Keylong 28 cm, Narkanda, Killar, Udaipur, Sissu, Koksar, and Chansel 30 cm each, Reckong Peo 15 cm, Shillaro 5 cm, and Kufri 2 cm, the bulletin said.

Wet zones

Intermittent rain lashed several parts of Himachal Pradesh. Manali, which recorded 88 mm rain, was the wettest in the state, followed by Nahan (84 mm), Pachhad (76 mm), Sarahan (70 mm), Kangra (65 mm), Rampur (64 mm), Rohru (60 mm), Kotkhai (56 mm), Dharamshala (55 mm), Dalhousie and Guler (53 mm each), and Chamba (50 mm).

State capital Shimla received 35 mm rain, according to the bulletin.

Keylong was the coldest place in the state, recording a minimum temperature of minus 4.5 degrees Celsius.

(With agency inputs)