Kashmir rainfall inundates Google

Srinagar: For the last two days, Kashmir is trending on Google searches because of the blockade of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

Kashmir has been witnessing incessant rainfall that has led to the rise in water level in rivers apart from blocking the national highway.

As per Google Trends, ‘Kashmir” word has been searched over 5000 times in the last 12 hours primarily due to the blockade of the national highway.

The common sentences typed in Google include “Why is the Srinagar-Jammu highly dangerous”; “When will the high open for traffic”; “Shooting tones and landslides on Srinagar- Jammu national highway.”

 On Thursday the searches about the highway on the Google search engine in Kashmir reached the 100 mark, the highest on the scale.

All the developments related to the highway were followed on April 18 when the graph showed that the searches by internet users have remained between 50-70. On April 19 -20, the searches related to the highway on Google touched the 80-100 mark.

The calculation of Google Trends is based on a graph that shows the relative frequency of any search term on a scale of zero to 100. Hundred represents the highest level.

On Thursday, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway opened after hours of closure as landslides occurred at Hingni and Nachlana in Ramban.

 Given the continuous rainfall, the traffic department has advised people to undertake the journey after confirmation from Traffic Control Units.

 On Wednesday, two persons including a driver and conductor died after a truck they were traveling in was hit by a big boulder near Digdole on Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

 Following the danger of landslides and shooting stones along the highway after heavy rainfall, many people are currently stranded in Jammu.

 “For the last three days, the highway has seen frequent closure and resuming of traffic. We don’t want to take the risk to travel under inclement weather conditions. We have no option other than an on-road journey since the air tickets are too costly,” said Mohammad Saleem, a student who is currently putting in Jammu.

 An official from the Traffic Control Room said that the clearance work is going on to facilitate the movement of traffic on the highway.

 Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has forecasted light to moderate rain at scattered places is likely during the next 24 hours.