Dhangadi, January 25 Life has been severely affected in the hilly districts of the Far-west Province due to snowfall today said to be heaviest in the past twenty years. Today’s is the second snowfall in a week. “We hadn’t seen such a heavy snowfall here since 1998,” said Lokraj Joshi of Dadeldhura, who said the snowfall had completely blanketed the district headquarters. Baitadi, Doti, Bajura, Darchula, Bajhang and Dadeldhura have received snowfall, which has disrupted transport movement on a number of roads linking the Tarai with the hills. While Baitadi’s Dasharathchand Highway has been obstructed due to snow piled up at places such as Anarkholi, Khodpe, Satbajh and other high elevation places on the highway, transportation has also been disrupted along the Bhimdatta Highway. Darchula’s northern areas, including Api, Ghusa, Khandeshwori, Chingru, Byas, Tinkar have received snow. High altitude places in Doti have also been blanketed with snow. Places like Khaptad, Bhalma, Goladeu, Shikhar, Kedar have received snow. Meanwhile, the snow has thrown life out of gear in the region, where people have shut themselves up inside their homes to protect them from the biting cold. Children and the elderly are the hardest hit, not to mention those suffering from chronic diseases. According to Chief District Officer of Dadeldhura Mohan Joshi, hundreds of passengers have been stranded on the way on the Bhimdatta Highway due to the snowfall. “There is no way we could remove the snow and resume transportation unless the snowfall stops,” he said, adding the snowed out stretches of the highway would be opened once the snowfall stopped.