Snow avalanche alert in Himachal

Shimla, Jan 20 (IANS) A threat of snow avalanche looms over the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh with the weather office predicting heavy snow Jan 22, an official said Tuesday.

"We are advising the people not to venture out in snow-bound areas of Solang, Beas Kund, Nehru Kund, Gulaba, Marhi in upper Manali between Jan 22 and 23," Kullu Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kanwar told IANS.

He said the Center for Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) in Manali has warned that an avalanche could take place in the hills locate at an altitude above 2,500 metre.

Kanwar said the residents have been also advised to clean the snow from rooftop of their houses to avoid any mishap.

"There are chances of heavy to very heavy snow in the state Jan 22," said Manmohan Singh, director of the meteorological office in Shimla.

He said some areas in Shimla, Kinnaur, Kullu, Lahaul and Spiti and Chamba district are likely to experience more than two feet of snow.

Most of the prominent tourist towns like Shimla, Narkanda, Kufri, Kalpa, Dalhousie and Manali are likely to have moderate to heavy spells of snowfall, he added.

Meanwhile, Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district was the coldest place in the state with a low of minus 10.7 degrees.

Shimla recorded the minimum temperature at 2.7 degrees, while it was minus 7 degrees in Kalpa in Kinnaur district, minus 3 degrees in Manali, 5.6 degrees in Dharamsala, 1.5 degrees in Chamba and 5.7 degrees in Dalhousie.