Shimla, March 1,
Three days of relentless snowfall and rain has plunged Himachal Pradesh into a crisis like, leaving thousands stranded in remote valleys without road access, electricity, or running water. As temperatures plummet to -10°C, families endure bone-chilling cold in pitch-dark homes, melting snow for drinking water, and burning wood to stay warm. The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) reports 480 roads buried under snow, 2,001 power transformers dead, and 432 water supply schemes frozen—a trifecta of despair crippling daily life.
The worst-hit districts—Kullu, Kinnaur, Lahaul & Spiti, Chamba, and Mandi—face near-total isolation. Entire valleys like Pangi in Chamba and Kalpa in Kinnaur are cut off, with 35 roads in Pangi and 45 in Kinnaur swallowed by snowdrifts.
National highways NH-03 (Rohtang Pass), NH-305 (Jalori Pass), and NH-505 (Gramphu-Lossar), lifelines for remote areas, remain blocked, stranding supply trucks and halting rescue efforts. In Lahaul & Spiti, 165 roads vanished under 15-foot snow walls, while Kullu’s Banjar subdivision battles the closure of NH-305, a critical route for food and fuel.
Power infrastructure lies is also down. Kullu’s Manali subdivision reports 729 transformers snapped under snowloads, plunging hospitals and homes into darkness. Kinnaur follows with 373 transformers dead, leaving villages like Pooh and Reckong Peo without heating. Lahaul & Spiti and Chamba grapple with 341 and 245 transformer failures, respectively, as families ration kerosene and blankets.
Water scarcity compounds the misery. Chamba’s Tissa and Bhartiyat subdivisions, with 245 frozen water schemes, see queues stretching for hours at dwindling springs. Kangra’s Dharamshala reports 32 schemes non-functional, forcing residents to trek miles through slush for buckets.
Rescue teams race against time, but continuous snowfall hampers progress. The SEOC warns recovery could take weeks, with forecasts predicting more snow. In Kullu, stranded tourists shelter in hotels, while Lahaul’s Keylong relies on army airdrops. Elderly residents in Chamba’s Salooni battle hypothermia, and shepherds in Kinnaur ration last grains.
As night falls, villages like Bharmour and Dalhousie shiver in darkness, their plight echoing across the state. With roads buried, power lines dead, and hope fading, Himachal’s winter of despair shows no sign of thawing.
About the Author
The HimachalScape Bureau comprises seasoned journalists from Himachal Pradesh with over 25 years of experience in leading media conglomerates such as The Times of India and United News of India. Known for their in-depth regional insights, the team brings credible, research-driven, and balanced reportage on Himachal’s socio-political and developmental landscape.
