Despite the road conditions improving on the whole, fog engulfing particularly the Terai belt of Kumaon region during morning and evening hours has landed the people in problem. Though mobility that remained affected due to incessant rain and snowfall during the first fortnight of the month has been restored, the citizens particularly the motorists are encountering problems while negotiating the fog-bound roads across the Kumaon division, particularly the Terai belt.
At the same time, the people keep on shivering in the cold in vast stretches of hill areas like Nainital’s Okhalkanda, Ramgarh, Mukteshwar, and upper regions of Almora, Bageshwar, and Pithoragah’s Munsyari. Mercury keeps plummeting and the temperature is hovering below 5 degree Celsius in these areas. Meanwhile, the district administration Nainital has asked the officials concerned of the regional transport department and the traffic police to take necessary steps to regulate vehicular traffic, in view of the foggy conditions prevailing across the district. The traffic police and transport department must conduct regular checking of the vehicles, especially in the plains, said Deepak Rawat, District Magistrate, Nainital.
More so, the officials concerned should also ensure that the lighting system in vehicles functions properly, given the poor visibility, added the DM.
Since tourism activities are expected to scale upward with the new year celebration in the offing, the traffic police should pay special attention to smoothening vehicular movements in Nainital , Haldwani, Ramnagar and other areas, maintained the Nainital district administration.
At the same time, to avert road accidents as have been reported of late, it has also asked the traffic police officials and those of the transport department to take steps to check reckless driving.
Notably, with the intensely cold conditions continuing, about two dozen people have reportedly died so far in different parts of the Kumaon division. Furthermore, the officials concerned informed the officials concerned to ensure glitch-free supply of electricity and other basic services in different parts of the Kumaon region.