Holiday in Shimla today as roads blocked after snowfall

Shimla, Feb 05: Government offices in Shimla city will remain closed on Saturday as roads have been blocked after a recent snowfall, a senior official said here.

In an order on Friday night, Shimla District Magistrate and District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Chairman Aditya Negi stated, "All government offices/boards/corporations/autonomous bodies/educational institutions etc. shall remain closed on 5 February, 2022 (Saturday) within the territorial limits of the Municipal Corporation Shimia."

However, this order shall not apply to the department offices or agencies dealing with maintenance of essential emergency services and the offices dealing with preparation of Budget, he added.

Issuing the order under section 34 of the Disaster Management Act, Negi stated that Shimla district has experienced heavy snowfall on February 3 and 4 which has disrupted movement of vehicles, and public transport taxis, and all major internal roads in the town and some parts of the district have been blocked because of the continuous snowfall.

The district administration and all other government agencies have relentlessly put in all efforts and deployed all resources, including men and machinery, to restore the movement of vehicles and all essential services, he added.

Due to heavy snowfall, the influx of tourist vehicles in Shimla town has also increased manifold, and it has been observed that it shall take some more time for restoration of roads and services, Negi said. Therefore, taking into consideration the present situation and in view of the safety and convenience of the general public, one-day holiday on Saturday has been announced, he added.