Gopeshwar: Stray cows shivering in Badrinath amid heavy snowfall were relocated to the lower valleys of Chamoli district on Tuesday.

Local residents alerted the district administration to the dire condition of the cows roaming the snow-covered streets of Badrinath. In response, District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari directed their relocation to warmer areas, officials reported.

15-20 Stray Cows Relocated

Approximately 15-20 cows have been moved to safety, they added.

Icy winds have swept across Uttarakhand since Monday, with high-altitude regions like Chamoli and Uttarkashi, along with several tourist destinations and pilgrimage sites, experiencing fresh snowfall. Lower areas have been hit by light rain.

Snowfall was also reported in locations such as Badrinath, Valley of Flowers National Park, Nanda. 

Snowfall In Himachal 

Meanwhile, at least 223 roads, including three national highways, were closed in Himachal Pradesh following snowfall in several districts, officials said on Tuesday.

Snowfall was recorded in the Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti and the higher reaches of Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Chamba and Sirmaur districts.

Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholders’ Association president MK Seth said that hotel occupancy in Shimla was at more than 70 per cent.

“The snowfall led to a 30-percentage point increase in room bookings,” he added.