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Season's
First Snowfall: Revellers Flock to Shimla
SHIMLA: India's most favoured hill resort of Shimla experienced its first snowfall of the winter on the eve of the New Year on Tuesday. Hundreds of tourists and people from the plains had flocked to the premier hill resort in Himachal Pradesh ahead of the new year to enjoy snowfall. The revellers from different parts of the country who thronged this cool and picturesque town, famous for its apples and scenic beauty, came out of their lodges, hotels and guest houses to enjoy the snowfall. Besides Shimla, tourists thronged earby Kufri skiing slopes, Narkanda and Naldhera. While the locals preferred to stay indoors, tourists had a great time out in the snow. For Vicky, a tourist from New Delhi who had planned to go back, the experience was scintillating. "I am very happy as I have come here to celebrate new year. Though we were planning to go back today but when we got up in the morning we saw snowfall. It is a miracle, it's amazing," Vicky said. Tourists, mainly children, had their share of fun, throwing snowballs on each other. Nearby tourist resorts of Narkanda, Khadapattar, Naldehra, Wild Flower Hall and ski slops of Kufri in this district also experienced intense snowfall. The entire State is in the grip of an intense cold wave with temperature dipping to minus 10 to 15 degree Celsius in several parts of the State. The snowfall has led to road blockades at several places. The tourism department has made elaborate arrangements to clear snow on highways as tourism is a major contributor to the State's economy. Nearly four million tourists visit Shimla every year and the figure has been increasing by about 15 per cent. Fog
Disrupts Air, Rail Services in Northern India NEW DELHI: As usual during this time of the year, several parts of northern India has been enveloped in a thick blanket of fog since Tuesday last after a shower at many places. Rail services were the worst affected. Rescheduling of services had a chain reaction all over. In Delhi, visibility on Friday was down below 20 m on the roads. The traffic police issued advertisements alerting drivers on do's and dont's. The minimum temperature on Thursday was 10 degrees C (Max. 16.4 degrees C) and it was expected to fall further considerably over the coming days as this is the time winter is at its peak. Indian Airlines cancelled four flights that included Kathmandu-Delhi and Mumbai-Delhi and Jet Airways six. In Delhi flights on Friday were held up till noon when the fog lifted. Trains such as Jharkhand Express, Jaisalmer Express, Howrah Express, Magadh Express and several Rajdhanis and Shatabdis were either delayed or rescheduled. -ANI |
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