Incessant rains coupled with snowy conditions in high altitude areas since Wednesday night have hit normal life in the region.The weather experts have not ruled out continuation of the prevailing atmospheric conditions in the northern Himalayan region for a longer period. Thus, amid cold wave conditions, drizzles continued throughout the day in different parts of the hill State, including Haldwani, on Thursday.
The people are choosing to keep themselves indoors unless compelled to move out of the warmth of their homes. However, the school children faced tough time as they had to go to their schools in the morning. The schools opened on January 15 here after the winter vacation was over.Water- logging on many roads in Haldwani affected vehicular traffic. The Haldwani-Kaladhungi Road and the Haldwani- Bareli Road could be seen under rain water on Thursday.
This aside, fog enveloping the Terai region of Kumaon compounded things for the people, substantially reducing visibility particularly during the night hours. Those on the wheels are encountering problems on this count. Things turn precarious sometimes and mishaps occur.Meanwhile, following the advisory of the meteorology department, Dehraudun, the district administration, Champawat, has asked the officials concerned, including the disaster management department, to be prepared to deal with any eventuality.
The weather department, Dehradun has forecast rain or snowfall upto 5 cm to 15 cm in the upper reaches of the Himalayan State. Such an inclement spell might continue till January 23 across the region. So all the officials concerned are supposed to be ready to take necessary steps, added the district administration, Champawat.
At the same time, it has also asked the officials concerned to manage vehicular traffic on the main Tanakpur- Ghat National Highway and other parts of the district so as to ensure that the passengers are spared inconveniences.