Over 2000 vehicles stranded on highway, flights cancelled, rail services halted
Authorities Issue Avalanche Warning
Met Office Predicts More Snow For Next 12 Hours
SRINAGAR: Fresh late-winter spell of major snowfall threw life out of gear in Kashmir valley on Monday and the authorities issued high and medium-danger avalanche warning for upper reaches of the state. Air traffic was suspended and the lone motorable highway connecting Valley with rest of India remained blocked for the third consecutive day.
Baramulla-Banihal train service was also suspended due to snow accumulation on the tracks.
School children faced trouble reaching schools after 122 days of prolonged winter vacations while several private schools announced a day off due to adverse weather conditions.
Jammu and Kashmir State Disaster Management Authority issued high to medium danger avalanche warning for hilly areas of Tangmarg and Khilanmarg in Gulmarg sector and higher reaches of north Kashmir’s Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipore districts and Kargil in frontier region of Ladakh.
An official spokesman said a medium danger warning has also been issued for higher reaches of Banihal, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar, Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu division, Pulwama and Kulgam in south and Budgam and Ganderbal districts in central Kashmir.
The weather office has meanwhile predicted moderate to rather heavy rain or snow at most places over the state during the next 24 hours.
According to reports, the valley upper reaches received more than a feet and plains recorded around half-a-feet of snow which began falling from wee hours of Monday following rains since Sunday evening.
Fresh snowfall was recorded in Srinagar, hills of Kishtwar, Doda, Poonch, Rajouri, Kathua, Reasi, Ramban and Bhaderwah Valley.
Landslides and caving in of road stretches on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway led to closure of the 294-km long highway. Around 2,000 vehicles, according to the traffic department, remained stranded on the mountainous highway.
“Inclement weather is stopping clearance of snow from roads. It may take 8 to 10 hours to restore traffic on the highway,” said a senior official of the traffic department.
Air traffic also was suspended due to accumulation of snow at the Srinagar airport.
Several interviews and university seminars were cancelled due to the inclement weather.
However, the state board examinations were held. “All exams will be held on schedule. There is no question of delaying exams as several already had been postponed in the past. We are already late for the new session,” said director education Showkat Ahmad Beigh.
The students examinations, scheduled for last year were cancelled first due to floods in September-October and then due to harsh winters. Kashmir valley saw unprecedented lockdown of schools and colleges for more than six months since the September 2014 floods.
The government was forced to extend winter vacations thrice in the last. Monday was first day for middle-class school children to join schools after 122 days of prolonged holidays.
Electricity supply in certain parts of Kashmir Valley was also suspended due to the fresh bout of snowfall, which began on Monday morning
There was a sharp fall in the day temperature. According to Met Office Srinagar city recorded 0.6 degree celsius, Gulmarg minus 0.5 celsius, Pahalgam 0.0 celsius, Leh minus 1.6 celsius, Kargil minus 8.0 celsius and Jammu city 11.4 celsius as the minimum temperatures today.
In tourist resorts like Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg cold wave conditions further intensified during the day as these places received intermittent rains and snow throughout the day.
There has been over one and half feet snowfall during the night at the ski resort of Gulmarg and Pahalgam in the Valley, reports said.
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