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Following heavy snowfall in Manali, the tourist hub of Himachal Pradesh, locals and tourists are facing problems due to traffic congestion for about 20 kilometres between Manali and Patlikuhal.
Traffic police personnel are deployed at various locations to regulate traffic. While tourists enjoyed the snowfall, they told ANI that they are facing problems in travelling as several roads are blocked. A tourist from Delhi said, "The roads are blocked, and it is extremely cold." A tourist from Uttarakhand told ANI, "The snowfall was more than expected, but this is what we came to witness. We have faced some problems, but overall it is a good experience." Locals also echoed a similar chilling experience as the temperature dropped. Local resident Alam said, "The snow is accumulated up to two to two-and-a-half feet, and the temperature has touched minus 10 degrees. We have to take support from a bonfire. There are electricity cuts, and water in the taps has also frozen." "There was snowfall, so it will get colder. We have faced some problems due to extreme winter, but we will have to work our way out," another local resident told. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a fresh spell of widespread rainfall and snowfall with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh on January 26 and 27. On Sunday, IMD warned of a fresh western disturbance in Himachal Pradesh even as cold wave conditions continued to prevail in several parts of the state. The department said minimum temperatures remained largely unchanged across the state, while maximum temperatures rose noticeably. Cold day conditions were observed at Manali, Kangra, Mandi and Hamirpur, while cold wave conditions prevailed at isolated places in the Una and Bilaspur districts. Heavy snowfall has brought normal life to a standstill in the tourist town of Manali, with roads blocked and hundreds of tourists stranded in sub-zero conditions. (ANI)
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