Himachal Pradesh issues advisory for likely avalanche to 5 districts

The Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA) on Tuesday issued an advisory asking residents in five districts to stay away from avalanche-prone slopes, an official spokesperson said. The advisory comes after the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) issued an avalanche warning for various parts of Chamba, Lahaul-Spiti, Shimla, Kinnaur and Kullu districts, where heavy snowfall is expected in the coming days.

Earlier, predicting heavy snowfall in the high and mid hills, the meteorological department had issued 'orange' and 'red' alerts for Wednesday and Thursday respectively. The HPSDMA asked the district administrations and district disaster management authorities (DDMAs) to monitor the situation in their areas regularly and take appropriate precautionary measures, the spokesperson said.

They have also been directed to keep rescue teams on standby to deal with any emergency situation, he added. The district administrations were also asked to convey bad weather warnings to all grassroots functionaries and locals and to advise tourists against venturing in snow-bound areas, he added.

The public has also been advised to keep adequate stock of essential commodities and emergency medicines, the spokesperson said. He said people have been asked to keep the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) informed at 1070 about any situation in their areas.

(With inputs from agencies.)