| Fresh snowfall in Kashmir blocks roads, brings down mercury | | | early times report
Srinagar, Jan 12: Kashmir received fresh snowfall on Saturday blocking major roads and bringing down day temperature across the valley.
While Srinagar-Jammu highway, connecting Kashmir with rest of the country, was closed in the morning as a precautionary measure and thereafter reopened after snow
clearance, state officials said. Vehicles were allowed to move from Srinagar to Jammu in the afternoon.
While it started snowing in Srinagar on Saturday morning, mountains received moderate snowfall from Friday night.
A bulletin by disaster management cell of the state informed that the ski resort of Gulmarg near LoC and Pahalgam in south Kashmir recorded 4 to 5 inches of snow each while frontier areas of north Kashmir like Gurez and Lolab received upto 12 inches of snow.
Amir Ali, head of Disaster Management Cell, said that snow clearance machines were immediately put into service to clear the roads including Gulmarg-Tang-marg Road, Tangmarg- Narbal road and Rohama-Khamoh-Panzla road.
He added that the remote towns of Kupwara and Handwara were also cleared of snow.
"Clearance was under progress in various other areas," Ali said in the evening.
The official said that air traffic was disrupted in the morning due to snowfall and one flight of a private airline was cancelled.
An official at meteorological centre said that a fresh Western Disturbance (WD), originating in Arabian sea and entering the region through Afghanistan and Pakistan has affected the state.
He said that moderate snowfall over hills while rains or snow in plains would occur at most places of Pirpanjal ranges in Kashmir division and at many places over higher reaches of Jammu region till Sunday afternoon.
He said that the Pirpanjal range, which houses the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, may receive heavy snowfall.
However, Inspector General of Police, traffic in a communiqué for media stated that traffic will be allowed to ply from Jammu to Srinagar on Sunday, subject to fair weather conditions and good condition of road.
He said that all kinds of vehicles including private and commercial light motor vehicles, passenger vehicles, buses and other heavy commercial vehicles would be allowed to travel from Jammu in a regulated manner.
However, all vehicles are required to cross the Jawahar Tunnel at Banihal, gateway to Kashmir, by 2200 hours, he said. |
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