SRINAGAR: Traffic was partially resumed for light passenger vehicles on 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu highway after remaining closed due to landslides yesterday.
Only light passenger vehicles from Jammu to Srinagar were allowed on Wednesday, a traffic police official told UNI.
It was decided to allow only light passenger vehicles from Jammu to Srinagar today, he said adding decision to allow heavy vehicles will be taken as and when a green signal is received from officials posted at different places.
However, no vehicle will be allowed from Srinagar to Jammu today.
He said traffic on the highway was resumed at 0900 hrs after the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, partially removed the landslides at Mehar nallah Ramban today.
However, all vehicles had to cross Nagrota by 1100 hrs and no Kashmir bound vehicle will be allowed after the deadline, a senior traffic police official said.
However, hundreds of Kashmir bound heavy vehicles, including those carrying essentials, particularly fresh vegetables, meat, chicken and other articles, remained stranded at different places while large number of empty trucks and oil tankers has been stopped on this side of the Jawahar tunnel.
Traffic on the highway was closed yesterday due to major landslides during the night intervening February 27 and 28 at Mehar nallah Ramban.
The BRO immediately put into service sophisticated machines to put through the traffic.
However, there is forecast for fresh rain during the next 48 hours.
Traffic on the Kashmir highway has been disrupted frequently due to snowfall and landslides besides slippery road conditions since first heavy snowfall on January 6, leading to shortage of some essentials or their price rise.
Meanwhile, the historic Mughal road malso remained cut off from their respective district headquarter in north Kashmir.
The Ladakh region also remained cut off from Kashmir due to closure of the highway since last year due to accumulation of snow.
Upper Reaches Receive Fresh Snowfall
The upper reaches, including world famous ski resort of Gulmarg and health resort of Sonamarg, received fresh snowfall while rain lashes plains in Kashmir, including summer capital, Srinagar, where educational institutions reopened after more than two months winter vacation.
The mercury during the night remained above freezing point at majority of the places in the valley while day became chilly due to drop in the maximum temperature.
A Met department spokesperson told UNI this afternoon that light to moderate rain or snow could occur during the next 48 hours in Kashmir valley under the influence of a fresh Western Disturbance (WD), which is active in the region.
Even though there was some improvement in the night temperature at the border town Kargil, still it was the coldest place in the region at minus 4.7 degree, against minus 5.2 degree recorded yesterday.
Leh also witnessed an improvement of about four degree from yesterday against settled at minus 4.5 degree due to overcast conditions.
He said light snow would occur during the next 24 hours in Leh, where maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 2 degree and minus 2 degree respectively.
Gulmarg, where ski slopes are already under more than four feet of snow, received fresh snowfall since last night. There were few inches of fresh snowfall. The night temperature at the ski resort witnessed an improvement of about three degree from yesterday due to cloudy skies and settled at minus 2.8 degree, which is about two notches above normal.
It is snowing intermittently since late last night. The night temperature improved due to cloudy skies, but the chill during the day has intensified. From last about a week, Gulmarg experienced pleasant weather during the day due to bright sunshine. But never the less, the tourists are enjoying fresh snowfall, a hotelier said.
The night temperature at world famous health resort of Pahalgam, which received fresh rain, dipped slightly though it was still three degree above normal. Against minus 0.2 degree recorded yesterday, the night temperature was minus 0.4 degree.
However, the upper reaches in Pahalgam received fresh light to moderate snowfall.
Another health resort of Sonamarg on Srinagar-Leh highway, closed since December last year due to snowfall, also received fresh snowfall since late last night, resulting in chilly weather conditions. Baltal also received fresh snowfall.
After experiencing pleasant sunny weather from last over a week, people woke up to a chilly morning due to rain since late last night in the summer capital, Srinagar. But, the night temperature in Srinagar remained constant at 4.8 degree, which is about four degree above normal.
He said light rain or snow would occur during the next 24 hours in Srinagar, where maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 12 degree and 4 degree respectively.
The mercury at Qazigund, gateway to Kashmir valley, on Srinagar-Jammu highway, also surged and settled at 4 degree, against 2.6 degree recorded yesterday. The night temperature was four degree above normal at Qazigund, which received 3.2 mm of rain since last night.
Another health Kokernag, which received 7.8 mm of rain, also witnessed an improvement of 1 degree from yesterday and settled at 2.9 degree. However, the mercury at Kupwara in north Kashmir dipped and settled at 2.7 degree, against 3.5 degree recorded yesterday.
Avalanche Warning Issued For Kupwara
KUPWARA: The Deputy Commissioner Kupwara on Wednesday issues avalanche warning for next 24 hours from today in the higher reaches of the district Kupwara especially Karna Keran Machil Tangdhar Budnambal Jumgund Nowgam Kumkadi Kralpora and sloppy areas of the district.
The people of these areas have been asked to take necessary precautions while moving and venturing outside their homes especially during the night hours for safety of their own lives, an official spokesperson said.
In case of any urgency people can contact the control rooms of district administration 01955-252280, 01955-253335, 9596472005, 01955-252451, 01955-262295.
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