DEHRADUN: The Met office has predicted rain and snow activity in the state during Holi on March 2. While three hilly districts – Chamoli, Uttarkashi and Pithoragarh – would start witnessing rain and snow activity from March 1 onwards, the rest of Uttarakhand is likely to experience light rains on the festival.
“A fresh western disturbance, although not a strong one, will impact the weather of the state and is likely to result in light rains at a few places on March 2,” said Bikram Singh, director of the Met office.
Barring intermittent light showers, Dehradun may not receive any significant rainfall but cloudy conditions are likely to prevail throughout the day. “It looks like March 2 won’t be a sunny day and there will be clouds over Dehradun,” said Singh.
However, the temperatures, currently settling above normal, are likely to hover above average on Holi. The maximum temperature in Dehradun was recorded at 26.5 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal, while minimum settled at 12 degrees Celsius, two degrees above average.
Notably, many parts of Uttarakhand witnessed rain and snow on February 24 and 25 with Char Dham receiving fresh snowfall.

Mussoorie: The clock tower of Mussoorie which is set to rise again almost eight years after the earlier one was demolished, is likely to have a floor dedicated to noted author Ruskin Bond. Sources in the town’s municipal council which is overseeing the project told TOI that one of the four floors of the building is likely to be dedicated to the veteran children’s author — who is the hill town’s most celebrated resident. The octagenarian’s family, the source added, has already been requested to share old photographs that will be put on display. Another floor is proposed to be dedicated to late actor Tom Alter who was vocal in his protests when the old clock tower had been dismantled and had also sat on a silent protest for what he termed as “doing my bit in the memory of an old friend.” One of the floors of the structure is expected to be turned into a coffee shop while plans have not been firmed yet for the remaining floor, as per sources.
The new clock tower is expected to be inaugurated around February 14, Valentine’s Day, according to the municipal council’s president Manmohan Singh Mall. “The clock has been specially ordered from Chennai. It has arrived and would be put up shortly,” he added. The earlier clock tower was built in 1938 and demolished in 2010 with the intention of replacing it “with a better structure.” However, delays had continued to dog the project which saw several controversies including allegations of financial irregularity against a former president of the municipal council for which a CBI inquiry was also ordered.
Eventually, the work on the structure began over a year ago and now, the clock tower stands tall in the same orange and red shades that most old-timers remember it to be. However, local traders have raised questions about the structure’s design terming it to be broader than the older structure and expressing fears that this could lead to severe traffic problems in the narrow area where it is located.
Meanwhile, those who have had an emotional bond with the clock tower feel happy. Harikishore Verma, the son of local building contractor Ugrasen Verma who had been involved in the construction of the original clock tower told TOI, “My father used to feel very proud of the fact that he had got a chance to build something that was the landmark of the town. The breaking of the structure was tragic but now that the new clock tower is back, it is a good feeling.”