look news india
For the travelers and tourists moving from the plains of North India to the mountains, very heartening and relieving news has emerged from the beautiful valleys of Himachal Pradesh. This season’s fresh snowfall has started on Rohtang Pass, the highest and popular tourist destination of Kullu-Manali. Due to the activity of Western Disturbance, dense clouds formed in the sky in the last 24 hours and by afternoon, snow started falling on Rohtang Top, Madhi, Beas Kund and surrounding high peaks. Within no time, a thick and milky white sheet of snow was spread all around. Seeing this charming and magical view of nature, the tourists present around Manali, Solang Valley and Atal Tunnel are jumping with joy and there is a flood of live videos and reels on social media.
As soon as the news of snowfall in Manali spread, a large number of tourists from cities like Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jaipur and Lucknow started heading towards Kullu Valley to spend weekends and holidays. Tourists who reached Rohtang pass are seen throwing snowballs at each other and making snowmen amidst the severe cold. Many tourists along with their families and friends were excited to capture this natural beauty on cameras. While people in the plain states are troubled by humidity and pollution, the icy winds of Rohtang and the mercury falling below zero have given a different feeling of freshness and thrill to the tourists.
Along with Rohtang Pass, intermittent light to moderate snowfall has also been recorded at Atal Tunnel (North and South Portal), Koksar, Sissu and Baralacha La passes, which are the gateways to Lahaul-Spiti district. Due to this fresh snowfall, the entire valley has been hit by cold wave and a huge drop of 5 to 7 degrees Celsius has been recorded in the temperature. Even during the day the mercury has dropped to around 2 to 4 degrees, while at night the temperature in the higher altitude areas is reaching minus. Local people have also made arrangements for their traditional woolen clothes and tandoor-fireplace to protect themselves from the harsh cold.
This latest snowfall has brought a big smile on the faces of tourism businessmen of Manali, Kasol and Kullu. Hotels which were facing low occupancy for the last few weeks are now seeing a huge jump of 40 to 50 percent in advance room bookings. This snowfall has brought new business opportunities for taxi operators, skiing guides, snow dress rental shops and local dhaba operators. Due to this snowfall at the beginning of the winter season, it is expected that Manali’s Winter Carnival and New Year tourism season will break records in the coming days.
Keeping in mind the safety of tourists visiting Rohtang Pass, Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti district administration has issued necessary guidelines. Due to snowfall, the risk of accumulation of ‘black ice’ (invisible layer of slippery ice like glass) on the roads increases, due to which there is a possibility of vehicles slipping. The administration has clarified that only those vehicles which have the facility of snow chains should go towards Rohtang. Tourists have been instructed not to go away from the designated track towards deep ditches or landslide prone areas. Additionally, to visit Rohtang, it is mandatory to obtain an online permit from the official web portal under National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines, with no non-Himachal vehicles being allowed to proceed beyond the Gulaba Barrier without a valid permit.
If you are also planning to enjoy snowfall in Rohtang and Manali, then leave home with some basic preparations. Be sure to carry good quality thermal innerwear, waterproof jackets, water-resistant snow boots, gloves and UV protected sunglasses, as bright sunlight falling on the white snow can damage the eyes. If you are driving yourself, keep your speed very slow and avoid applying brakes suddenly. Plan your further journey only by seeing the latest weather updates on the social media handles of the local meteorological department (IMD Shimla) and traffic police so that this journey through the snowy valleys remains memorable and safe for you.