Over 800 snowbound roads remain blocked in Himachal, fresh orange warning issued

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While over 800 roads in various parts of Himachal Pradesh including a majority in Shimla zone remain blocked following heavy snowfall on Wednesday, the meteorological department has issued a fresh orange warning of heavy rain and snowfall 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, the Meteorological Centre Shimla Director Manmohan Singh said.

Normal life in many parts of the state has been thrown out of gear since the snowfall. As per data provided by a State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) official on Friday evening, as many as 835 roads including 642 in Shimla zone are still blocked.

However, the director said as many as 440 machines including 381 earth movers, 16 bulldozers and 43 tippers were on the job to clear snow from roads.

Yet, the snowbound roads are not cleared from the main Shimla city area.

On Friday, an elderly person died after falling from a slippery snow-covered road in the city. Several persons 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 snowfall on January 13 and 16 with forecast for rain and snowfall 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 informed.

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.

Minimum temperatures have risen by a few notches. The minimum temperature in Kinnaur's Kalpa was minus 5.5 degrees Celsius, followed by Kufri in Shimla district at minus 4 degrees Celsius and Manali in Kullu district at minus 2.8 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature in Seobagh was minus 1.5 degrees Celsius, whereas Bhuntar registered minus 0.5 degrees Celsius and Solan and Sundernagar recorded minus 0.4 degrees Celsius each, he added.

The minimum temperature in state capital Shimla was 3 degrees Celsius and Dalhousie of Chamba district registered 3.6 degrees Celsius.