Snowfall may be your nightmare in Uttarakhand hills

Dehradun, Jan 29 (IANS) Snowfall is not revelry all the time in the hills. It may be your nightmare also.

For the four people from Delhi who got virtually trapped in a Chakrata hotel in Dehradun district following heavy snowfall last week, the ordeal is far from over.

As the authorities pressed snow cutter machines and JCBs on Tuesday to remove the loads of snow that had lashed the area since last week, top police officials said they are putting in their best efforts to bring these tourists safely from Lokhandi Hotel in the Chakrata hills. Most of the area is covered with 4-5 feet of snow.

When these tourists posted the video on the social media, their plight was palpable. "We are trapped here. We appeal to the authorities and CM to please provide help. There is shortage of food and water in this hotel. There is no electricity also," the trapped woman said on the social media.

Anup Nayal, the local Station House Officer (SHO) who is supervising the snow-cutting operation, however, said he is hopeful that these four tourists, which include one woman and three men, would be rescued very soon.

Meanwhile, the state disaster response force (SDRF) personnel rescued a group of 12 tourists on Monday evening from Harsil area of Uttarkashi district where they were trapped for the past few days due to snowfall. "All these 12 tourists were brought to Uttarkashi district headquarters yesterday," a top police official said.

Efforts have also been launched to reopen all the blocked roads in the hills where scores of villages are still cut off due to heavy snowfall. "This is a very difficult task. But still we are making efforts to reopen all those roads which have been blocked due to snowfall," said a state government official.