GUWAHATI: Heavy snowfall has created a winter wonderland in several parts of Arunachal Pradesh delighting visitors but making life tough for residents of Tawang and Lower Dibang Valley districts.
Arunachal usually witnesses snowfall in January. But Sela Pass in Tawang and Mayudia Pass in Lower Dibang Valley are already covered with snow for the last three days.
The lifeline of defence forces, the Dirang-Tawang road at Sela Pass has been mostly affected by the snowfall. Police and administration have been advising commuters to drive carefully. Officials, however, said Tawang town remains free from snowfall.
Sela Pass, at an altitude of 13,700 feet on the border between the Tawang and West Kameng districts, is covered with more than one feet snow for the last three days, officials said.
A large number of tourists from capital Itanagar and neighbouring Assam rushed to Mayudia Pass, located at an altitude of 8,711 feet, to witness the spectacular view due to convenient geographical location as Dibang Valley is adjacent to the plains of upper Assam region. But the adverse weather conditions compelled the administration to restrict travel through the state highway through an advisory on Wednesday.
“People in Lower Dibang Valley have witnessed snowfall in the past but this time it’s heavy. The situation may turn risky for the tourists who gathered in large numbers on the highway that runs through Mayudia Pass to see the snow-clad range,” said Olak Apang, extra assistant commissioner, Dibang Valley. She said by Thursday noon, the snowfall had stopped, though snow continues to engulf Mayudia. Connectivity along the state highway at Mayudia was severely affected since Wednesday, she said. The highway is a vital link from Lower Dibang Valley headquarters Roing to Anini, the headquarters of Dibang Valley district bordering China. “Effort was on to clear the highway,” she said.
State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), Arunachal Pradesh, officials said though Tawang, located on northwestern part of Arunachal too was experiencing snowfall simultaneously, the locals and defence forces stationed in the China-bordering district have been acclimatized with snowfalls there.
“Only in Lower Dibang Valley the snowfall has been unusual this time. It was ahead of expected time and heavy,” said Bhupen Mili, senior consultant at SDMA. Though September to November and February to March, before the onset of rains, are considered the best travel time for tourists to Tawang, a considerable number of tourists were camping in the border town to enjoy the winter.
