Early Times Report
Srinagar, Jan 9: Cold wave conditions continued to grip the Kashmir Valley today with minimum temperatures dropping below freezing point, the India Meteorological Department said.
"In most parts of Jammu and Kashmir, the minimum temperatures dropped below the freezing point because of the clear night sky. The weather will remain dry in the state up to January 10," Met officials said.
Srinagar, the summer capital of the state, recorded -3 degrees Celsius, Pahalgam -5 and Gulmarg -10 as their minimum temperatures on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the temperature at night in Leh and Kargil fell to -9.9 degrees Celsius and -15.3 degrees, respectively.
Jammu, the winter capital of the state, recorded 4.9 degrees Celsius, Katra 5.1 degrees Celsius, Batote -0.1 degrees Celsius, Bannihal -0.4 degrees Celsius and Bhaderwah -1.8 degrees Celsius as their minimum temperatures on Wednesday.
Kashmir is going through the 40-day-long period of harsh winter weather called the 'Chillai Kalan' which started on December 21 and is slated to end on January 30.
Hundreds of vehicles left Srinagar for Jammu as only one-way traffic continued on the National Highway, connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, due to bad road conditions. However, the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh National Highway and historic Mughal road remained closed for the past over a month due to accumulation of snow which has now frozen. Today, traffic will ply from Srinagar to Jammu and no vehicle, including security force convoy, would be allowed from opposite direction, a traffic police official told UNI on Wednesday morning.
He said due to road widening and frequent landslides, only one way traffic will continue on the highway till further orders.
He said both Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) will be allowed to ply from Srinagar to Jammu on Wednesday.
However, he said due to slippery road conditions besides avoiding traffic jam, the authorities have imposed restrictions on the movement of vehicles on the highway.
He said LMVs will have to cross from Pantha Chowk in Srinagar between 0600 hrs to 1130 hrs. The LMVs will have to pass Levdora in Qazigund between 0730 hrs to 1300 hrs, he said.
Similarly, he said HMVs will have to pass Levdora between 1330 hrs to 1900 hrs. After the cutoff time, no vehicle will be allowed to move beyond these areas, he added.
He said people are requested to contact Traffic Control Units (TCUs) set up at Jammu and Srinagar besides at different locations on the highway before undertaking the journey on the highway.
The National Highway, the only road connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir valley, and historic 86-km-long Mughal road, linking Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, remained shut for the past over a month.
There is no possibility of reopening of these roads before April due to accumulation of several feet of snow which has not frozen. |
