Shimla witnesses first snowfall; 566 roads blocked in Himachal Pradesh

Moderate to heavy snowfall persisted in the high hills and tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh. It was reported that the state capital experienced its first snowfall of the season, bringing joy to residents, tourists, and farmers. It was observed that Shimla was covered in a thin layer of snow on Thursday, and the 5-km stretch between Kufri and Fagu was completely blanketed by snow. Despite the cold weather, tourists and residents gathered on the Mall Road and Ridge in the heart of the city to revel in the snow. The previous night, Shimla had been hit by a severe hailstorm, followed by intermittent rains. According to Public Works Department Minister Vikramaditya Singh, more than 566 roads, including six national highways, in the state have been closed to vehicular traffic due to heavy snowfall and rain. He mentioned that 138 roads are expected to be reopened by tonight. In a proactive measure, machinery in low-lying areas has been relocated to snow-bound areas, and calcium chloride is being sprinkled to clear the roads, Singh informed. He also stated that the public works department has incurred a loss of Rs 40.5 million due to the snowfall. Vehicular traffic in the upper Shimla area beyond Dhalli came to a standstill as roads were blocked due to heavy snow in Kufri, Fagu, and Narkanda. Shimla SP Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi informed PTI that vehicular movement, which was earlier halted in upper Shimla areas in Dhalli, is now being regulated.