Shimla, Jan. 25 -- Along with picture-perfect views, the heavy snowfall in Himachal also affected the normal life with power outages, traffic jams and widespread disruption of transportation owing to slippery roads. A total of 683 roads, including two National Highways (NH-03 between Koksar to Darcha and NH-505 Gramphu- Batal), remain blocked across the state, read a report by State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA). Himachal Pradesh public works department (PWD) minister Vikramaditya Singh, while talking to HT said, "I am in constant touch with departmental officials. JCBs and poclain machines are continuously engaged in clearing roads in hilly areas." The minister added that higher reaches have received 2.5 to 3 feet of snow, while high-altitude areas have recorded up to 4 feet, making road clearance time-consuming. "As per the latest information, around 600 small and big roads have been affected, including link roads and major district roads. We are making all efforts to open them at the earliest," he said. The number of distribution transformers (DTRs) disrupted rose to 5,775, while 126 water supply schemes were reported to be affected . In Shimla most parts of the district were without power for over 30 hours. In many rural areas, there's little hope of power restoration even for the next five to six days. Heavy snowfall has disrupted bus services on over 1,200 routes across the state, making movement difficult. The worst-hit regions include Lahaul-Spiti, Mandi, Chamba, Kullu and Sirmaur, where heavy snowfall and rain triggered road blockages and power outages. In Lahaul-Spiti alone, 290 roads are blocked, and both key National Highways connecting the region remain closed due to snow accumulation. Several strategic stretches such as Koksar-RohtangPass, Darcha-Sarchu and Gramphu-Batal have been shut for traffic . Power supply restoration in Shimla district also faced challenges as the District Emergency Operations Centre reported a complete electricity outage since January 23, compounded by a non-functional generator due to a fuel-related issue The tourists destinations in the state witnessed heavy influx in wake of snowfall coupled with a long weekend. Stakeholders in the tourism sector said hotel occupancy in Shimla is expected to touch 70 to 80% owing to the weekend rush following the snowfall but for that uninterrupted electricity, timely snow clearance, and road connectivity are crucial. Mohinder Seth, president of the Shimla Hotels and Tourism Stakeholders' Association, said overall hotel, guest house, and rest house occupancy in Shimla is expected to reach nearly 80%. He added "Footfall has increased significantly, but amenities remain a concern as there has been a prolonged electricity disruption since yesterday morning. We are spending from our pockets to ensure an uninterrupted power supply for tourists staying in the hotel." Gajendra Thakur of the Federation of Himachal Hotels and Restaurant Association said, "The snowfall will boost the tourism business as we are expecting that once the roads are cleared the occupancy in Manali will go up to 70%. However surrounding areas of Manali all hotels, homestays, guest houses are booked." Over 600 tourists were stuck in traffic and spend their night in their vehicles. The public transport has been suspended and only 4*4 vehicles are being allowed to operate. Tourists are alleging that the private taxi owners are asking exorbitant fare and are asking Rs.10,000 to Rs.15,000 from Manali to Patlikuhal--20 kilometers. Twelve tourists stranded amid heavy snow near Raghupur Fort in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district were safely rescued on Saturday by locals, officials confirmed. According to the district police control room (DPCR), Kullu, the rescue operation was carried out around Saturday noon. Officials said the tourists were visiting the Raghupur Fort area when they were caught in heavy snowfall due to deteriorating weather conditions. "Six locals promptly stepped in and successfully rescued all 12 tourists, who were later escorted safely and are now proceeding towards Sojha via Jibhi. No injuries were reported," a senior officer said. In wake of another spell of widespread rainfall and snow between January 26 and 28, the state government has issued a fresh advisory. All district administrations have been directed to activate district emergency operation centres on a 24x7 basis for continuous monitoring and coordination. Departments dealing with critical infrastructure have been placed on high alert. The PWD has been instructed to ensure the availability and strategic deployment of snow clearance machinery to minimise road closures and enable swift restoration of connectivity. Emergency response teams have been told to remain in readiness The state government has urged the public to remain cautious, avoid unnecessary travel during the wet spell. Search is on to find the two youths, who went to make a video from the Bharmari Mata temple towards the Kukadukandha hill in the Bharmour assembly constituency of Chamba district, the police said on Friday. The missing youth, Vikshit, 19, of Ghared village, and Piyush, 14, of Malkota village had gone from the Bharmari temple towards the Kukadukandha hill area and have been missing since then, they added. Upon receiving the information, the police immediately launched search operation. The administration managed to contact one of the youths, but after that the contact was completely lost. The search operation has been intensified with officials taking help of drones. However, the fog is hampering the search operation. Chamba deputy commissioner Mukesh Repswal said that they received information about the disappearance of two youths on Thursday. Upon receiving the information, the police administration and a mountaineering team were sent to the spot and the search was started. He said that contact was made with the youths on their mobile phones on Friday, but there has been no further communication with them since then. Now, an intensive search operation is being conducted using drones, but so far they have not been traced....