DEHRADUN: A severe cold wave has gripped Uttarakhand’s high Himalayan regions, bringing an unexpected chill to the state this December with the average minimum temperature hovering around 3.5 degrees C, weather department officials said.
The winter landscape has transformed, with majestic Himalayan peaks blanketed in thick snow in sub-zeo temperature and several villages buried under a layer of white.
In the bordering Pithoragarh district, disaster management department officials have confirmed heavy snowfall at the higher peaks of the Byas Valley, Darma Valley, Munsiyari, and Johar Valley. “This has plunged the region into a bitter winter spell,” District Disaster Management Officer Bhupendra Singh Meher said.
“As per the forecast for the approaching Saturday and Sunday for heavy snowfall, we are keeping all the DDMA staff on alert,” he said. Intense snowfall has brought traffic to a halt along a 30-kilometer stretch of the Tyuni-Chakrata-Mussoorie National Highway in Dehradun district, according to officials at the State Disaster Management Office. The Dharanadhar-Koti Kanasar road remains heavily snow-covered, stranding two tourists from Delhi.
However, they have taken shelter in a local hotel and are waiting for the weather to improve. “Efforts are on to restore traffic on the closed road from Dharanadhar to Koti Kanasar. NH officials have deployed JCB machines and snow cutters to remove the snow from the national highway. However, due to slippage issues with the JCBs, significant amounts of snow have not yet been cleared,” Navneet Pandey,
Executive Engineer of the National Highway department, told this newspaper. “The journey along this route is not without its dangers,” an official of the NH department said.
Vehicles are slipping on the snow-covered road, and several two-wheeler riders have sustained injuries. Authorities are urging travellers to exercise caution while attempting to navigate the treacherous conditions.
In the village of Mudoi Kachaanu within the Mugad gram panchayat in Sahiya, locals performed the ‘Harul dance’ in the snow. “The ‘Harul dance’ is a traditional folk dance that is performed especially during the winter season when the region experiences snowfall.
This dance is often performed by the locals and showcases their culture and traditions,” Bharat Singh Rana, a resident of Tyuni in Dehradun district, told this newspaper.
In the Harul dance, participants wear traditional attire and dance together. “The purpose of this dance is not only entertainment but also to reflect community unity and joy,” Rana said.
JCB machines, snow cutters deployed
Efforts are on to restore traffic on the closed road from Dharanadhar to Koti Kanasar. NH officials have deployed JCB machines and snow cutters to remove the snow from the national highway. However, due to slippage issues with the JCBs, significant amounts of snow have not yet been cleared yet.