After the dry spell, cold wave coupled with heavy fog has now plagued Uttarakhand with air, train and transport services bearing the brunt of the bad weather. The inclement weather has forced the government to close down schools for two days.
Kingfisher, which operates two flights to and fro between Dehra Dun and Delhi every day, is unable to operate due to thick fog enveloping the region. “We are not operating our air services during the past few days,” said a Kingfisher official here. With this, Jollygrant airport in Dehra Dun has become virtually non-functional.
Train and bus services from Dehra Dun to various destinations have also been hampered badly due to the fog. Most of the trains and buses were running late, official sources said here.People are now relying on their own conveyance. “Instead of taking a flight to Delhi, I traveled by road to reach Delhi,” said an NGO official on his way to Ranchi.
Cold conditions also badly affected the working of government, financial and other institutions where attendance remained thin. “The attendance in the secretariat and other government offices is very poor,” said a government official.
With the fog enveloping the state capital in the morning, there was some respite in the afternoon from the misty conditions. Met Director Anand Sharma told Business Standard that the weather was likely to improve in a day.
But two days of light rains have failed to improve power situation. Water discharge in various rivers continued to remain 30 to 40 per cent below normal. The power generation from Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL), having installed capacity of 1,304 Mw, is now hovering around 6 to 8 million units, mainly due to the dry season. “The power situation looks bleak in our state these days due to fall in discharge of various rivers,” said a top official of UJNVL. The falling power generation was hitting the industrial output also, sources said.
