Shimla: Normal life continues to be disrupted in large parts of Himachal Pradesh as hundreds of roads remain closed days after a fresh spell of heavy snowfall, cutting off several remote areas from the rest of the state.
Official data released by the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) shows that vehicular movement is currently affected on 485 roads, including three national highways. The worst situation has been reported from the tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti, where as many as 275 roads are blocked. Key arterial routes such as National Highway-03 and National Highway-505 remain inaccessible, posing serious challenges for residents and essential services.
Mandi district has reported the closure of 67 roads, while Kullu is grappling with 58 blocked routes, including National Highway-305. In the state capital Shimla, traffic has been hit on 40 roads. Chamba has 35 roads shut, whereas smaller numbers of closures have been recorded in Kinnaur (four), Una (three), Kangra (two) and Sirmaur (one).
The snowfall has also taken a toll on electricity infrastructure. Across the state, 436 power transformers are currently out of service. Kullu district accounts for the highest number with 187 non-functional transformers, followed by Shimla with 116 and Mandi with 57. Power disruptions have also been reported from Chamba (50), Sirmaur (13), Lahaul and Spiti (11) and Kinnaur (two).
Despite the widespread impact, weather conditions remained largely dry over the past 24 hours. The Meteorological Department noted that both daytime and nighttime temperatures were hovering 2°C to 3°C above the seasonal average.
The weather office has predicted light snowfall in the middle and higher hill regions on January 31, while the plains and lower areas are likely to remain dry. Authorities have said restoration work is underway, with priority being given to national highways and routes critical for essential supplies.
