Shimla, Feb 5
This Capital Town of Himachal Pradesh remained cut off from all places after closing of most of the roads due to heavy snowfall since last two-days. However restoration of National Highway no 5 between Shimla to Kalka and NH-88 between Shimla to Kangra has been done on Saturday afternoon, said the district administration.
Deputy commissioner Shimla Aditya Negi said that vehicular traffic was restored between Shimla and Kalka on NH-3 and between Shimla-Kangra and Shimla-Mandi after clearing of snow from the road on warfooting. He said that baring Shimla-Lakkar bazar-IGMC-Sanjauli road, all other internal roads are restored in the town.
Old Hindustan Tibet National Highway is still snowing bound between Kufri and Narkanda however snow was cleared between Shimla and Kufri.
He said that as many as 303 roads were blocked by snow in the district including 72 in Rohru, 55 each in Theog and Kotkhai, 51 in Chopal, 27 in Rampur, 22 in Kumarsain, 11 in Shimla rural, five each in Shimla urban and Dodrakawar are being cleared on the warfooting.
He said that 76 JCB(evecuator), 12 dozer (Earthmovers) and nine snow robot and manual labour were pressed in the snow clearance operations across the district moreover in Shimla town 12 JCB and five robat and manual labour are clearing the snow and sand was being spilled on the slippery road to avert mishap.
DC who himself was on ground zero since last two days said that snow clearance operation was being done on war footing however people should avoid travel and not move out from their home if it is not necessary.
District administration declared local holiday on Saturday as most of internal roads and highways were snowbound and all public transport remained completely suspended till this afternoon.
Some HRTC and local buses were allowed between Old ISBT and New ISBT, between Shimla and Kalka, Shiml Dharmshala, Shimla,-Mandi, Shimla- Manali route in the afternoon but vehicular traffic was snail paced.
This capital town recorded two and half feet snow in last three days and freezing temperature hampered restoration work.
State Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj today appealed Goverment contractors to assist the administeration to clear the snow from the town and others places in the district.
He also assured the government contractors that they should show prompt response to clear the snow from roads and state government would resolve their issue of pending dues soon.
As it has been stated earlier that ten percent power supply, around 754 roads including three National Highway and one state highway are snowbound till this morning.
Shimla district including capital town are worst affected by Snowfall as 303 roads were Snowbound till this morning but ten to fifteen roads are restored.
As many as 121 roads are snowbound in Lahaul-Spiti including all three National Highway, 100 roads are in close in Mandi, 98 in Kullu, 88 in Chamba, 26 in Kinnuar, 12 in Sirmaur and ten in Solan district.
Power supply is affected under 683 distribution Transformer Regions in Shimla district, 563 DTR in Chamba, 402 DTR in Sirmaur, 356 DTR in Mandi, 344 in Solan and 92 in Kullu.
Spokesperson of state electricity board said that till this afternoon around 880 DTR was down out of which power supply is restored in 393 DTR and it is could not restored in 487 others.
196 water supply schemes are affected in the state including 87 in Chamba, 54 in Mandi, 28 in Shimla and 27 in Lahaul-Spiti.
