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| RAINS WREAK HAVOC | | NH closed, 2000 vehicles stranded | | SASE issues avalanche warning, one dies of cold
Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 18: The all-important Jammu-Srinagar national highway, which is the only surface link between Kashmir and the rest of the country, was today closed following heavy snowfall and landslides.
Over 2000 vehicles have been stranded at several places on the 300-km long stretch, which was blocked following incessant snowfall at Jawahir Tunnel and Patnitop and landslides at Panthial, traffic police officials said.
The highway also became slippery at several places in Ramban-Banihal belt today, they said.
Authorities are working round-the-clock to clear the highway of snow, which was opened for one way traffic yesterday but closed again this morning following overnight snowfall and landslides, they said.
Meanwhile, as the upper reaches of state experienced snowfall for the third straight day, Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) of the army today issued an avalanche threat warning.
Medium avalanche danger exists in Jammu and Kashmir as the snow has not frozen. We have issued a precautionary warning," a spokesman of the SASE said.
About one feet to four feet of snow has accumulated in the upper reaches of the state since Friday.
The spokesman said SASE has advised people staying above 2500 metres in avalanche prone areas of Tangdhar, Kupwara, Baramula, Sopore, Islamabad, Kargil, Gurez, Naugam, Banihal, Uri sector and Rajouri district not to venture in avalanche prone areas in the next 24 hours.
"There is a danger of avalanche activity in these areas of the state," he said, adding, the avalanche sites have been marked and people asked to remain cautious.
The SASE was established to provide precision avalanche forecasting support to the services including advice on avalanche control measures, enhance avalanche forecasting capability through systematic data collection in snow bound areas and creation of snow cover information system.
Owing to the prevailing weather conditions more snowfall may take place in the upper reaches of the State in the next 24 hours, the spokesman said.
He said SASE has issued an advisory for the movement of vehicles on the Jawahar Tunnel on Srinagar-Jammu National highway, the only road linking Kashmir with rest of the country. "The vehicles should maintain a distance of 50 meters for safety," he said.
Jammu also received showers in which one person was killed due to lightning.
The lowest minimum temperature was recorded 0.2 degrees Celsius at Srinagar Air Force Station. While in Jammu, the minimum temperature today settled at a comfortable 13 degrees Celsius, six notches above normal. The maximum is expected to hover around 19 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal, the Met department said here.
The situation of hundreds of Mata Vaishno devi bound pilgrims is no better either as they are struggling to beat the cold wave in the absence of woolen clothing. Sudden drop in the mercury levels have led to cold wave conditions. Regular spell of rainfall and icy winds in plain areas is making it difficult for them to withstand the harsh winter conditions.
With the absence of any relief from the government for the Srinagar-bound passengers stranded at various places on the 300-km long Jammu Srinagar National Highway that was blocked following the heavy landslides triggered after continuous snowfall in the region, life has become very hard. The miseries of the stranded passengers have come as a blessing in disguise for the shopkeepers who continue to fleece them by raising the prices of the essential commodities.
“Since the highway was closed the shopkeepers and the hotel owners who run shops on the highway have increased the price manifolds. As for a boiled egg a stranded passenger has to shed Rs 15and Rs 25 for a cup of tea,” said Manzoor Ahmed, who somehow managed to return back to Jammu after remaining stranded at Pantal near Ramban.
Manzoor had to walk several miles before he could catch a vehicle back to Jammu, but thousands of stranded passengers had not enough luck.
After the closure of the only road link between the two parts of the state, it has been a tough time not only for the passengers, who got struck on the highway, but the passengers in Jammu, who wait for the opening of the road are also subjected to various hardships.
In view of the non-availability of any proper arrangements for the stranded passengers at the general bus stand in Jammu, hundreds of them were seen lying on the ground waiting for the road link to open for traffic again.
“For the past three days we have been waiting for the highway to open, I had gone to Delhi for the medical check up of my mother and now on my way back home to Anantnag I got stranded as the highway was closed,” said Mushtaq Ahmed a resident of Anantnag district of south Kashmir. He said, “I don’t know where to go, as the money that I had with me is about to finish.”
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