On December 23, Manali, Himachal Pradesh, had a new round of intense snowfall that left some 1,000 automobiles stuck. The visitors were stranded in their cars for hours between Solang and the Atal Tunnel near Rohtang. According to the officials, there was a significant traffic bottleneck, thus a rescue effort was initiated. Officials said some 700 tourists were safely moved to secure regions.
In the meantime, the state is seeing a surge in visitors in celebration of Christmas and New Year’s. Shimla had the second light snowfall of the season earlier on Monday, while other areas of the state experienced snow and rain in patches. The higher reaches of Kharapathar, Chaurdhar, and Chanshal South portals of the Atal tunnel. As well as the neighboring tourist destinations of Kufri Narkanda, and Samdho, also received snowfall.
There was 8 cm of snowfall in Shimla and 7 cm in Kalpa. According to the Met Office, light, sporadic rain fell in a few places in the lower hills of Himachal. The snow caused 30 routes to be closed. That includes the national highways between Attari and Leh, Khab Sangam in the Kinnaur district, and Gramphoo in the Lahaul and Spiti districts.
In the meantime, the captivating snowstorm, which started two weeks after the first snowfall on December 8. It has not only pleased tourists but also lifted the spirits of the region’s tourism sector.
