2-ft September snow damages apple, potato crops in Himachal

Kuldeep Chauhan
Tribune News Service
Shimla, September 24

The apple, pea and potato crops in Lahaul have been badly damaged in two feet of snow recorded in the tribal valley for the last 24 hours cutting the district from the rest of the state.

Rohtang Pass and Rohtang Tunnel, south and north portal, recorded over I feet of snow bringing all work to close as cold wave swept the region, said residents and Border Roads Organisation engineers. 

Three bridges were washed away in Kullu and Manali.

“We never experienced such a loss to crops in the past and snow in September," rued Prem Lal and Himal Thakur, farmers from Lahaul.

Peas and potatoes and apple are to be harvesting in last week of September in lower Patten Valley, but the untimely and freak spell snow has damaged and burnt the crops, the farmers said.

All the roads connecting the low lying areas of Udaipur and Upper areas of Sissu and Koksar and Jispa remained cut off due to snow from Keylong, district headwaters since Sunday, said local residents.   

BRO has pressed its machineries to service to restore the connectivity in the Valley but the Manali- Keylong part of the highway may take days to restore as it has been snowing at Rohtang range and Lahaul since Sunday,” said BRO engineers.