15-km jam, power and water cut: Manali reels under snow and tourist surge

HEavy snowfall crosswise the western sandwich Himalayan neighborhood o'er the past times 48 hours triggered widespread disruption in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Kashmir, leading to 15-km-long traffic jams near Manali, power outages, road blockages and large-scale stranding of tourists and residents.Long traffic jams, tourists strandedIn Himachal Pradesh, fresh snowfall ended a prolonged dry spell but severely affected daily life, particularly in tourist hubs such as Shimla and Manali.Slippery roads and heavy tourist inflow during the long Republic Day weekend resulted in massive traffic snarls, with vehicles crawling for hours. Over 600 tourists were stranded near Manali, many of whom spent the night inside their vehicles after traffic came to a standstill.“We remained stuck in the traffic jam for more than three hours and then decided to walk our way to Manali, covering nearly 7 km,” said Akshay, a tourist from Delhi. Another tourist, Trisha, said, “We had to spend the night in our vehicle and survived on maggi as we were carrying our own portable cylinder.”Taxi overcharging complaintsTourists also alleged overcharging by private taxi operators amid suspension of public transport. “Taxi owners are asking ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 for a 20-km journey between Manali and Patlikuhal,” said Lakshit, another tourist from Delhi.Hundreds of roads blockedAccording to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), 683 roads, including two national highways - NH-03 (Koksar–Darcha) and NH-505 (Gramphu–Batal) - remained blocked across the state.Public Works Department (PWD) minister Vikramaditya Singh said heavy machinery was being deployed for snow clearance.“JCBs and poclain machines are continuously engaged in clearing roads in hilly areas. Higher reaches have received 2.5 to 3 feet of snow, while high-altitude areas have recorded up to 4 feet, making road clearance time-consuming,” he said.Power, water supply hitPower and water supply were also severely hit. The number of disrupted distribution transformers (DTRs) rose to 5,775, while 126 water supply schemes were affected.Large parts of Shimla district remained without electricity for over 30 hours, and in several rural pockets, restoration may take five to six days. Bus services on over 1,200 routes were suspended, further compounding transport woes.Worst-hit districtsThe worst-hit districts include Lahaul-Spiti, Mandi, Chamba, Kullu and Sirmaur. In Lahaul-Spiti alone, 290 roads were blocked, while key strategic stretches such as Koksar–Rohtang Pass, Darcha–Sarchu and Gramphu–Batal were shut. The Manali–Lahaul route via the Atal Tunnel also remained closed.Tourist surge amid disruptionsDespite the disruption, the snowfall led to a surge in tourist arrivals. Hotel occupancy in Shimla is expected to touch 70–80%, stakeholders said. “Footfall has increased significantly, but prolonged power outages remain a concern. We are spending from our pockets to ensure uninterrupted power supply for tourists,” said Mohinder Seth, president of the Shimla Hotels and Tourism Stakeholders’ Association. In Manali, hoteliers expect occupancy to reach 70% once roads reopen.Rescue operations underwayRescue operations continued across the state. Twelve tourists stranded near Raghupur Fort in Kullu district were safely rescued by locals and police. In Uttarakhand, nearly 200 people in 50 vehicles were rescued from snowbound stretches of the Yamunotri highway, while over 30 people were evacuated overnight in Nainital and Tehri Garhwal.Kashmir: Over 1,600 tourists rescuedIn Kashmir, more than 1,600 tourists were rescued from Gulmarg and Tangmarg after heavy snowfall. Gulmarg recorded over 50 cm of fresh snow, with upper reaches receiving up to four feet.Fresh advisory issuedWith another spell of rain and snow forecast between January 26 and 28, the Himachal Pradesh government issued a fresh advisory, directing district administrations to activate emergency operation centres round-the-clock and ensure readiness of snow clearance machinery and emergency response teams. Authorities urged residents and tourists to avoid unnecessary travel and remain cautious during the upcoming wet spell.