Chenab flow is obstructed by an avalanche in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul and Spiti regions; 500 highways are stopped due to snow and rain

Early on Sunday morning, an avalanche struck a hamlet in the Lahaul and Spiti regions of Himachal Pradesh, blocking the Chenab River and causing a warning in the nearby area, according to authorities.

500 routes, including five national highways, have been closed as a result of more than six avalanches and landslides that were caused by heavy snow and rain in Himachal Pradesh during the previous two days, according to reports.

They noted that, as of yet, no avalanche has been confirmed to have resulted in casualties.

Following an avalanche at Dara Waterfall in Jasrat hamlet in Lahaul and Spiti, the Chenab river’s flow was stopped. The high-altitude area reported significant snowfall throughout the previous day.

According to SP Lahaul and Spiti Mayank Chaudhary, residents of the nearby villages of Jobrang, Rapi, Jasrath, Tarand, and Tharot have been warned to exercise caution and notify the closest police station in the event of an emergency.

An avalanche near the Tandi Bridge in the Lahaul area buried a few stores.

Multiple avalanche incidents happened at Cho Veer Mod in Lohni, Faldi Nallah in Jobrang, Seli Nallah in Rashel village, Tatha Nallah in Udaipur village, and Lahaul and Spiti.

According to the authorities, there was also a reported avalanche close to the Karcham helipad in Sangla, Kinnaur region.

Five of the 500 closed routes are national highways. The state emergency operation center reports that a maximum of 290 roads are blocked in the districts of Lahaul and Spiti, 75 in Kinnaur, 72 in Chamba, 35 in Shimla, 18 in Kullu, 16 in Mandi, and one in each of Kangra and Sirmaur.

Shimla Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap told PTI on Sunday that people are warned from traveling to higher Shimla districts due to the slick roads caused by the recent snowfall.

He continued by saying that efforts are being made to unblock the roadways and allow traffic to flow again.

As a result of the severe snowfall that interrupted communication and power, life was out of control in some areas of Lahaul, Spiti, Kinnaur, and Chamba. The emergency operation center reports that 72 water supply systems have been affected and 2,563 transformers are out of commission across the state.

Snow, rain, and lightning destroyed three houses: one each in Lahaul and Spiti, Solan and Sirmaur, and Kullu. It said that the Upper Shimla region’s supply of necessities including milk, bread, veggies, and newspapers was impacted.

The meteorological agency here sent a report stating that Rohtang had the most amount of snowfall in the state during the previous 24 hours, measuring 150 cm.

The bulletin indicated that the following places had recorded snow depths: 120 cm for Chitkul and Atal Tunnel, 75 cm for Solang, 62 cm for Khadrala, 60 cm for Kalpa, Kaza, and Moorang, 60 cm for Sangla, 52.5 cm for Nichar and Gondla, 45 cm for Keylong, 30 cm for Narkanda, Killar, Udaipur, Sissu, Koksar, and Chansel, 15 cm for Reckong Peo, 5 cm for Shillaro, and 2 cm for Kufri.

Rainfall was sporadic across the state, with the wettest area being Manali, which recorded 88 mm of rain, followed by Nahan with 84 mm, Pachhad with 76 mm, Sarahan with 70 mm, Kangra with 65 mm, Rampur with 64 mm, Rohru with 60 mm, Kotkhai with 56 mm, Dharamsala with 55 mm, Dalhousie and Guler with 53 mm each, and Chamba with 50 mm.

The news said that 35 mm of rain fell in Shimla, the state capital. With a low of – 4.5 degrees Celsius, Keylong had the lowest nighttime temperatures.