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| NH closed for third day, normal life paralysed | | |
Arteev Sharma
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Feb 8
With no improvement in inclement weather conditions across the State, the Kashmir Valley remained cut off from rest of the country on the third straight day today following heavy snowfall and landslides triggered by incessant rains on 300-km-long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
Incessant rains and snowfall in upper reaches of Jammu region also dipped the mercury with maximum temperature in Jammu recorded at 16.3 degree Celsius, about 5 degree below normal while the minimum temperature witnessed reverse trend with mercury recording temperature 4 degree Celsius above normal. The minimum temperature was recorded at 12.3 degree Celsius. So far Jammu region has experienced 10.8 MM rainfall since Saturday night.
Normal life got crippled on second day with people preferring to remain indoors. Educational institutions and government offices reported thin attendance while few vehicles were seen plying on roads.
Dr M K Khushu, Chief Scientist Agrometeorology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology Jammu (SKUAST-J) said that there would be no change in inclement weather conditions for next 48 hours and heavy rains are likely to hit the State in next couple of days.
“We are expecting moderate to heavy rains and snowfall in many places, besides hailstorm at isolated places in next 48 hours. Due to low pressure in the air caused by the Western Disturbances led to incessant rains for the last two days,” the Chief Scientist said, adding that rains would give a new lease of life to crops sown in Jammu region.
Reports said that shooting of stones at vulnerable Panthial area and accumulation of about 1.5 to 2 feet snow at Jawahar Tunnel, the gateway of Kashmir, forced authorities to suspend traffic on highway. “Continuous rains triggered landslides at a distance of 151 Km, 156 Km and 171 Km on highway from Jammu while heavy snowfall at Jawahar Tunnel since last night did not allow traffic movement on road. The road was quite slippery,” said official sources.
Sources further said that about 900 trucks loaded with essential commodities, besides hundreds of Lower Motor Vehicles carrying passengers were stranded at various safe places along the highway between Udhampur and Banihal towns.
Traffic police had allowed over 150 stranded trucks and 60 passenger vehicles to move after creating one-way passage at Jawahar tunnel last evening.
“The highway would remain closed for vehicular traffic till tomorrow morning as well because of fresh snowfall and slippery road conditions in Jawahar tunnel area,” a senior traffic police official said.
The stranded passengers complained about shortage of food and other essentials though the authorities claimed to have made arrangements for them. They also complained about price rise of eatables by the shopkeepers along highway.
Meanwhile, the upper reaches of Jammu region also experienced heavy snowfall since last night. Reports said that holy shrine of Vaishno Devi in Katra town also witnessed snowfall while the famous Patnitop tourist resort also experienced one feet snowfall and heavy rains since early this morning.
Reports from mountainous Doda and Kishtwar districts said that heavy rains and snowfall have created havoc in both the districts.
“Heavy snowfall has thrown normal life out of gear in Doda and Kishtwar districts snapping normal power and water supplies. Continuous rains and snowfall forced the people to remain inside their houses while the traffic on National Highway connecting these districts with other parts of Jammu region also got disrupted this morning,” said reports.
The rainfall received during the past three days has been welcomed by the people particularly farmers as the region had witnessed dry spell during the past four months.
“All the agricultural and drinking water needs depend on the water bodies and rivers whose discharge depends on the availability of rains,” said a farmer.
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