Tag: spiti in winters

MANALI: Covered with thick blanket of snow, the Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal is reeling under intense cold wave conditions with temperature plunging below minus 20 degrees C at some places. With frozen water sources, some places including Kaza and Keylong are facing water shortage. Temperature in Kibber, Komic, Hikkim, Demul and some higher villages in Spiti and Koksar in Lahaul has plunged below minus 20 degrees C. Spiti, where even hand pumps have frozen, residents are lighting fire around the pumps and taps in effort to get water from it. Keylong, where temperature is expected to dip below minus 15 degrees C in next few days recorded lowest temperature of minus 9 degrees C on Friday. Both minimum and maximum temperatures in state have increased by 3 to 4 degrees C in last few days but the temperature is expected by dip drastically by the end of the month. An official working with Rohtang tunnel project said mercury in Lahaul at north portal of the tunnel is dipping up to minus 25 degrees C in nighttime. “Many villages have no drinking water available. They are bringing water from the river. Thankfully, Keylong has some running taps,” a resident from Keylong Suneel Bodh said. He added that the district is getting less snow but has more cold this season. “We are spending time in skiing and indoor games. Lahaul is celebrating Halda, a local festival, which is observed in different valleys on different time. We dance, eat and have fun. We have nothing much to do.” Gyaltsen Norbu, a resident of Spiti said, “Spiti is situated at high altitude but receives less snow compared to lower regions. But we face coldest winters of Himachal. Freezing of taps and all drinking water sources is the main problem. Even the fuel in vehicles