Kashmir receives fresh snowfall

Srinagar, Jan 12: Fresh snowfall in Kashmir threw life out of gear in the Valley on Sunday and disrupted flight operations at the airport here, officials said.

Most parts of the Valley received moderate to heavy snowfall on Sunday which continued during the day.

According to a MET official, while the plains received light to moderate snowfall, the higher reaches of the valley and Jammu and Ladakh regions experienced heavy snowfall.

Srinagar city recorded two centimetres of snow till 8:30 AM, while Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district recorded nine centimetres, he said.

Gulmarg ski-resort in Baramulla district of north Kashmir recorded eight centimetres of fresh snow, while Kupwara, also in the north, received 25 cm, the official added.

There are reports of heavy snowfall in most parts in the higher reaches of the Valley, Jammu region and some parts of Ladakh Union territory, he said.

The MET Office has forecast widespread snowfall across the valley till Monday.

The snowfall affected flight operations at Srinagar airport as no flight was able to land till about noon.

Private airline Indigo cancelled all flights to and fro Srinagar for the day, the official said.

He, however, said if there was improvement in the weather, the air traffic would most likely resume.

Meanwhile, only stranded vehicles were allowed to ply for second successive day on Sunday on Srinagar-Jammu national highway, connecting Kashmir with rest of the country.

However, the traffic was disrupted for sometime early in the morning due to slippery road conditions following fresh snow and shooting stones at some areas on the highway, where hundreds of vehicles have been stranded since Friday amid chilly weather conditions.

“After slight disruption early in the morning due to snowfall, stranded vehicles were allowed to ply towards their respective destinations on Srinagar-Jammu national highway,” a traffic police official said.

Stranded vehicles were on Saturday allowed to move towards their respective destinations on the highway, where several thousand vehicles, including those carrying passengers, were stranded since Friday due to slippery road conditions coupled with heavy traffic jam.

However, he said traffic was on Sunday morning again suspended on the highway due to slippery road conditions following by fresh snowfall and shooting stones. But, he said traffic was again restored on the highway after some hours.

He said hundreds of Kashmir bound Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs), loaded with diesel, petrol, LPG and other essentials, were stranded on the other side of the Jawahar tunnel. “Similarly hundreds of passenger vehicles, which had left Srinagar on Friday, were stranded at Banihal and other areas,” he said. The passengers, including women, children and elderly persons had to spent night in vehicles. They alleged that vehicles were stopped at places where there is no facility.

The LMV passenger vehicles on way to Jammu remained stranded at Banihal and Qazigund, official said, adding it was decided to allow these vehicles only after Kashmir bound HMVs will cross tunnel.

He said fresh traffic will be allowed only after clearing stranded vehicles on the highway.

Meanwhile, the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway, the only road connecting Union Territory (UT) Ladakh with Kashmir valley, remained suspended for the past over one month on Sunday due to accumulation of over five feet snow and slippery condition.

The historic 86-km-long Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, and Anantnag-Kishtwar road also remained closed for the past 33 days. There is no possibility of reopening of these roads before April-May.

Stocks of essential items being replenished: Admin

Monitor News Bureau

Srinagar, Jan 12: Stocks of essential supplies are being replenished after fresh supplies of fuel and food items were received in Kashmir on Sunday.

The fuel supplies received up to 4 pm include 260 tankers of diesel, 189 tankers of petrol and 43 tankers of kerosene oil.

These also include 82 tankers and 57 trucks of Liquified Petroleum Gas or LPG.

The trucks with different kinds of food items received add up to a total of 110 — including 70 trucks with rice and 40 trucks with vegetables and mutton.

It should be noted that movement of vehicles with essential supplies on Jammu-Srinagar road is being prioritised and that more supplies are expected to be received in Kashmir tomorrow.

The divisional administration has urged the general public not to panic assuring that sufficient supplies of essential items are being received and stocks replenished