A number of roads in the Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand were temporarily shut due to heavy accumulation of snow in high areas and continuous rains in the low areas that hampered normalcy in the region, with the area of Kapkot coming out the worst hit. Traffic flow was restored on most roads after the clearance operations by the authorities, but the residents were warned to be careful, as the weather conditions can be unpredictable.
The local authorities indicated that the bad weather spell caused the mountain roads to be covered with snow and caused small waterlogging and landslides in the prone areas. To prevent the cases of accidents, major roads between Kapkot and other villages and market areas were closed as a precautionary measure to maximize the safety of commuters.
Teams of Public Works Department (PWD) workers, as well as disaster management workers, were deployed at the beginning of the day, clearing the snow, collecting the debris, and providing connectivity. The most important routes were handled with heavy machinery to accelerate the work, but in the areas where manual work was applied, the routes were narrow and rural and access by vehicles was restricted. By evening, the majority of the victimized roads had been reopened to light and controlled traffic.
This inconvenience led to the short-term sufferings of the local people, especially in the high altitude villages where locals rely on these roads as their daily transportation, medical facilities, and school bus. Kapkot shopkeepers claimed that goods were arriving late, and others complained that tourists were stuck for a few hours before work was cleared on unloading the goods.
The harsh weather also caused some disconnection of power supply and communication networks in some pockets, according to the officials. At the highest point of the disruption, emergency services were put on alert to address any medical or disaster-related cases.
The authorities at the district-level reported that they are keeping a close watch on the situation because weather reports suggest that there might be further light snowfall and light intermittent rainfall in the next couple of days. An official said that he had ordered all the departments involved to be ready and make sure that equipment and manpower are ready in case of any new blockages.
The residents have been encouraged not to travel when they are not in need, since it is especially during early morning and late evening hours that the condition of the icy road becomes especially hazardous in the hills. Drivers have also been encouraged to wear snow chains when necessary and follow traffic advisory messages that have been given by the local government.
Although normalcy has been restored to a large extent due to the restoration of the roads, the incident has once again brought to focus the helplessness of the hill infrastructure in the winter season. Governments indicated that they are also thinking of long-term solutions, such as better drainage systems and shore stabilization, to mitigate the effects of heavy rain and snowfall on major transport corridors in the area.
