In Manali and the higher parts of the Kullu district, heavy snowfall caused sudden closure of traffic on more than 1,000 vehicles stuck at the South Portal of the Atal Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh. Weather conditions that had started on Monday afternoon unexpectedly caused a considerable congestion and the authorities initiated a major rescue operation and snow clearance exercise.
According to the officials, the Border roads Organisation (BRO) has been on the go to clear the snow and reestablish connectivity in the damaged stretch. Deputy Commissioner of Kullu, Anurag Chand Sharma verified that since Monday, the snow had fallen continuously and the movement of vehicles around the tunnel had been affected greatly, and that efforts are underway to help stranded travelers.
The snowfall covered Manali and other neighboring places covering roads, houses and mountain slopes. Some high altitude areas in the state had also received fresh snowfall and thunderstorms, lightning and hailstorms had been reported in the districts of Shimla, Kangra and Mandi.
IMD has declared an Orange Alert of March 18 and 19, which will be affected by additional adverse weather conditions, such as thunderstorms and hailstorms in various districts. A new western unrest is predicted in Himachal Pradesh on March 18-21 and this brings apprehension on the travel disturbances.
Governments have encouraged tourists not to make needless travels and adhere to weather warnings when rescue mission is underway and conditions are unpredictable.
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