Uttarakhand: Higher Himalayan region of Dharchula witnesses snowfall

Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand) [India], October 18 : Higher Himalayan region of Dharchula of Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district witnessed snowfall on Monday.
Heavy snowfall following the incessant rain in Darma valley, Panchachuli base and other areas in the higher Himalayan region of Dharchula disrupted the traffic movement.
As per information shared by Dharchula Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Anil Kumar Shukla, Lipulekh road has been closed at two places following the snowfall and India Meteorological Department's (IMD) red alert for Uttarakhand with a forecast of heavy to very heavy rainfall.
"Administration, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), all have been kept on alert. Dharchula has received 58 mm of rain so far, and it has still not stopped," said Shukla.
As a precautionary measure to IMD's alert, the Chamoli district police have halted the Badrinath Yatra, and passengers en route to Badrinath were stopped in safe places.
The IMD also reported that the mercury has dropped in the district, especially in Pipalkoti, Ghat, Pokhari areas, including district headquarter Gopeshwar. The areas at the higher altitude have also received snowfall.