EARly Times Report
Srinagar, Nov 26: People living in dozens of far-flung and remote areas, including those near the Line of Control (LoC), in north Kashmir continued to suffer as they remained cut off from rest of the valley for the fourth straight day on Thursday even as snow clearance operation is yet to start to restore road connectivity to these border areas.
Traffic to border towns of Keran, Karnah, Tanghdar and Machil, besides dozens of far-flung and remote villages in north Kashmir remained suspended for the fourth successive day on Thursday due to slippery road conditions following accumulation of several feet of snow.
Meanwhile, the border town Gurez and its adjoining areas in Bandipora remained cut off from rest of the valley since November 14 due to accumulation of about three to four feet of snow.
“Dozens of far-flung and remote villages, including Machil, Kernah, Keran and Tanghdar, remained cutoff due to slippery road conditions following accumulation of snow,” an official of Police Control Room (PCR), Kupwara, told UNI over phone.
He said that about two to three feet of snow has accumulated at Sadhna top, Phirkiyan pass and Z gali. “The snow clearance operation is mostly likely to start from Thursday or Friday provided the weather remains dry. The clearance will take couple of days as the snow has frozen due to sub-zero temperature,” he said.
An official of PCR from Bandipora told UNI that Gurez, which is surrounded from Pakistan-occupied- Kashmir (PoK) from three sides, remained closed for traffic since November 14. “About three to four feet of snow has accumulated at Razdan pass, connecting Gurez, Neeru and dozens of other areas near LoC with district headquarters Bandipora,” he said.
“It is highly unlikely that traffic on Bandipora-Gurez road will be restored any time soon,” he added. |
