Tourists stranded in Manali snow; long line of vehicles amble over blanket of white
Hundreds of tourists are stranded in Manali after heavy snowfall in the region led to blockage of local link roads in the popular tourist destination and surrounding areas, leading to long lines of vehicles on adjoining routes, officials said on Monday.
While National Highway-3 has been cleared upto Solang Nala, only light vehicles are being allowed to ply on the road, they said.
Bus services on the route remain disrupted with buses plying till Patlikuhal, around 16 km from Manali. However, the situation is teetering back to normal since Sunday, when Manali witnessed a 15-km-long traffic jam during which hundreds of tourists were seen walking on the icy roads with their luggage. According to officials, tourists who had reached Manali prior to snowfall are restricted to their accommodations as the thoroughfares are closed.
“The district administration is continuously monitoring the situation. Efforts are underway to restore all the roads, however, it will take a little longer for the roads to be clear for traffic again,” an official said.
According to officials, only four-wheel-drive vehicles will be permitted towards Manali from the direction of Patlikuhal, as road conditions are likely to be slippery due to snow.
The meteorological centre in Shimla has predicted heavy snowfall and rain in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday. It has issued orange and yellow weather warnings for different parts of the state.
The orange alert has been issued for Kullu, Kinnaur, Chamba and Lahaul and Spiti districts, with a few spells of heavy snowfall along with rainfall to be expected.
The yellow alert has been issued for Shimla, Solan, Kangra, Mandi, Sirmour, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Una districts, with the Met office predicting thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds with speeds up to 60 kilometres per hour, along with cold wave conditions.
The Met centre said very light snowfall and rain was observed at isolated places on Monday, with cold wave conditions prevailing in Una and Bilaspur. The lowest temperature recorded was minus 10.2°c at Tabo village in Lahaul and Spiti district.
Police has advised people to avoid unnecessary travel until weather conditions improve and to refrain from visiting high-altitude areas or places near rivers, streams, and avalanche-prone zones.
