Lahul and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh received heavy snowfall on Wednesday
Himachal Pradesh received fresh snowfall on Wednesday. The Indian Meteorological Department has warned more rain and snow till tomorrow. Most of the popular tourist towns like Shimla, Narkanda, Kufri, Dalhousie, Dharamsala, Palampur and Manali are likely to get more rainfall, while Kalpa and Chitkul in Kinnaur and Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti district might get more snowfall, said the meteorological department.
Keylong was the coldest place in the state with a minus 1.9 degrees Celsius, while it was one degree in Kalpa and 1.2 degrees in Manali. Shimla recorded the minimum temperature at 9.5 degrees, whereas Dharamsala recorded a low of 9.1 degrees and Dalhousie 9.3 degrees Celsius.
The snow and avalanche experts in the home ministry on Wednesday have advised officials in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, to closely monitor the situation in the wake of heavy snowfall in the higher reaches.
In a statement, the home ministry said that the "state governments are advised to keep a close watch...and keep the ministry informed."
Officials in Kashmir Valley also issued a low-danger avalanche warning for seven districts, after fresh snowfall in the higher reaches of Bandipora, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kulgam, Budgam, Kupwara and Ganderbal districts. People in these districts have been asked not to go to the avalanche-prone areas, said officials.
Most of the higher areas of the Kashmir Valley have been getting rain or snow since Monday, forcing the closure of many roads. Incessant snowfall have badly damaged apple crop in the state. The Jammu and Kashmir government has declared the untimely snowfall as a "state-specific national calamity" so that additional relief can be given to the fruit growers from the state's disaster response fund.
(With inputs from ANI)