Hills shiver, Sandakphu wears snow blanket

Amitava Banerjee | MP | 18 December 2018 | Darjeeling: Hill life was thrown out of gear with the mercury plummeting drastically. While most parts of the region experienced rainfall, there was snowfall in the higher reaches including Sandakphu, the highest point of West Bengal. It had started snowing in Sandakphu at an elevation of 3,636m, from 2am on Tuesday. 

"From Kalapokhari enroute to Sandakphu it started to snow but the snow did not accumulate here. From Bikeybhanjyang, 2km away from Sandakphu, snow was heavy. It snowed nearly throughout the day and there was around 4 inches of snow on the ground in Phalut (3,595 m), Sandakphu and Bikeybhanjyang area," stated Anil Tamang of the Singhalila Land Rover Owners' Association. 

Sandakphu recorded a temperature of minus 3 degree C. Land Rovers could travel till Bikeybhanjyang after the heavy snowfall. 

"There were around 100 tourists in the morning. Many decided to return after the heavy snowfall. They had to walk the 2km stretch till Bikeybhanjyang, after which the Land Rovers were made available. Ropes were provided so that the tourists could brace themselves while coming down the steep slippery road. They were helped by the guides and drivers," stated Tamang.

Another group of tourists also went up to Sandkphu from Maneybhanjyang. Many tourists enjoyed the snowfall, built snowmen, engaged in snow fights and returned from Kalapokhari. It also snowed heavily in the higher reaches of Sikkim and Bhutan.

Meanwhile, Darjeeling town and its surrounding areas experienced steady drizzle throughout the day. Even Siliguri was no exception. Tiger Hill experienced rains accompanied by hailstones. 

Icy winds blew throughout the day, bringing down the temperature of Darjeeling town to 3.2 degree C at around 5pm. 

"We have extended our stay by two days. By the look of it, there is heavy chance of snowfall in the next few days. We are praying for snowfall in Darjeeling town. I have visited Darjeeling many times but never experienced it," stated Joydeep Ganguli, a tourist from Kolkata.