The movement of tourists on the Manali-Leh highway has virtually stopped due to many stretches in between having frozen. With the temperature having hit below freezing point, three stretches between Darcha and Sarchu in Lahaul-Spiti, including a stream at Bharatpur, have frozen completely. 

The route may experience snowfall any time and it would be blocked for traffic. The Manali-Gramphu-Spiti highway, too, is reported frozen at many stretches near Kunzum pass. Less than a dozen cabs from Manali are plying on the Manali-Leh highway these days as driving on frozen roads is dangerous. Most of the tourists are preferring direct flights to Leh from Delhi, which has left hundreds of taxi operators unemployed. 

Beas Dev, vice-president of the Himanchal Taxi Operators Union said, "Only some experienced drivers are daring to drive on frost. Most of the tourists are opting for airways. We are now hoping for doing some good business during the Christmas weekend in December."