Two stranded bridegrooms airlifted from Lahaul-Spiti

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, February 4

Two bridegrooms in Lahaul Spiti, who had been stuck for days together following spells of heavy snowfall and waiting desperately to move out of the district to join their marriage functions, were finally airlifted today by an emergency flight arranged by the administration which landed at Bhuntar airport in Kullu district.

Yog Raj, a native of Mandi district, is employed in the Agriculture Department in Lahaul Spiti, while Devender Kumar of Kullu district is posted as a Junior Engineer in Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board, also in Lahaul Spiti.

Marriage of Yog Raj is due on February 5 but there was no flight schedule to move out of Lahaul.

Both had made several pleas to the Lahaul Spiti district administration to airlift them on a priority basis out of the district so they were able to perform their marriage rituals.

Both heaved a sigh of relief when the district administration acceded to their demand for an emergency flight for Kullu.

Lahaul Spiti district has been cut off by road from the rest of the state since December because of heavy snowfall at 13,050 feet high Rohtang Pass, the gateway to Lahaul.

Rohtang Pass connects Kullu district with Lahaul Spiti at Keylong, which remains closed for vehicular traffic for six months every year because of heavy snowfall. Yog Raj and Devender Kumar said they were in a dilemma for the past several days as bad weather had hampered the air service in the district. The family and relatives were constantly praying for weather to improve so that they could be airlifted in time for the marriage.

Deputy Commissioner Lahaul Spiti Ashwani Kumar Chaudhari said, “They were in utter distress. Finally, we requested the state government to arrange an emergency flight and airlift both bridegrooms. The flight was finally arranged and they both were airlifted from Tandi Diet helipad in Lahaul. One pregnant woman and her attendant also boarded the flight.”

“In all, 18 persons were airlifted from Lahaul to Kullu and 16 from Kullu back to Lahaul”, he added.