Kullu: A fresh layer of snow has disrupted power, water supply and blocked the national highway in the Kullu region of Himachal Pradesh, causing discomfort to both tourists and residents.
In Kullu, residents complained that they have been deprived of power and water supply for the past three days due to incessant snowfall.
"This snow was refreshing and it would prove to be very beneficial for the fruit industry. We had been waiting it for some days now, but we are facing problems also now. We have not received power for the past three days, the water supply has been inconsistent and tourists are also suffering a lot as all roads are blocked," said Pradeep Sharma, a resident.
In Manali, the heavy snow also blocked the highway connecting the hill station to the plains of Punjab and New Delhi.
Tourists were stuck in their vehicles for five hours as highway authorities used earthmovers to clear heavy chunks of snow.
"We are going to Manali but, we have been stuck here for the past five hours because of the heavy snow blocking the road," said Kuldeep Singh, a tourist from New Delhi.
The higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh have seen heavy snowfall over the last two days with some districts receiving upto 90 centimetres of snow.
Located in the tropics, most of India sees very hot summers and largely temperate winters.
Snow is therefore a rarity, and hill stations in states like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand are very popular with tourists are eager to enjoy it while they can.
Snowfall in these regions had a direct impact as temperatures plummeted at many places in the heartland of India such as Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
ANI
