Life hit in snowbound areas while Dhumal remains busy in home district

Shimla (Jan 19): Normal life in snowfall affected areas in Shimla district remained out of gear as government machinery struggled with road clearing operations in the district.

The entire district witnessed very heavy snowfall during the past two weeks. While DC Shimla today claimed that NH 22 was cleared of snow at Kufri and Narkanda and Theog-Kotkhai and Theog- Chopal has been restored, life remained miserable in the interior villages as link roads were still laden with massive snow.

It has been no better on roads which were cleared. The drive is extremely dangerous as no mud has been put on the highway leading to skidding of vehicles resulting in serious accidents.

Two weeks of heavy snowfall has taken a toll on LPG availability and absence of health services in these areas. Reports of massive shortage of LPG has been reported from the district. With link roads closed people in the area are finding it extremely difficult to reach medical centers for treatment.

In many of the villages electricity supply has not been restored. These villages are facing black out as power supply got disrupted due to uprooting of electricity poles. Many areas are also facing shortage of water supply as water supply scheme pipes have frozen being buried in the snow.

While people in the high hills are left on their own, no minister or functionary has bothered visiting the area to take stock of situation. The step motherly treatment of the BJP government to Shimla district continues as Chief Minister Dhumal shifted his ‘darbar’ to lower areas during this period. There is hardly any minister in Shimla these days who could take stock of the situation.

It seems the only department working during such difficult times is the Himachal PR department dishing out tall claims from the state Secretariat in Shimla. Rest everyone has left the people on nature’s mercy. All this is happening when people of the district handed the entire district on platter to BJP in last elections.

While Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal remained busy with inaugurations and stone laying ceremony in his home district, life continues to be miserable for people in snow affected areas of Shimla district.