Shimla : While over 800 roads in various parts of Himachal Pradesh, including a majority in Shimla zone, remain blocked following heavy snow on Wednesday, the meteorological department has issued a fresh orange warning of heavy rain and snow on January 13 and 16.
Many parts of the state, including Kufri and Manali, continued to reel under biting cold at sub-zero temperatures with the lowest in the state recorded in Lahaul and Spiti district’s administrative centre Keylong at minus 14.3 degrees Celsius, Meteorological Centre Shimla Director Manmohan Singh said.
According to the data provided by a State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) official on Friday evening, 835 roads, including 642 in Shimla zone, are still blocked.
However, the director said 440 machines, including 381 earth movers, 16 bulldozers and 43 tippers, were on the job to clear snow from roads.
On Friday, an elderly person died after falling from a slippery snow-covered road in Shimla.
Several people were seen slipping on a road near the official residence of Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, eyewitnesses said.
The Met centre issued an orange warning of heavy rain and snow on January 13 and 16 with forecast for rain and snow in the state from January 11 to 17 with back-to-back western disturbances.
The first western disturbance will be active in the state from January 11 to 13 and the other from January 14 to 16, the weatherman said.
The colour-coded warnings are issued to alert the public ahead of severe or hazardous weather, which has the potential to cause “damage, widespread disruption or danger to life”.Orange is for weather that has the capacity to cause significant impact.