Sgr-Leh NH, Mughal road closed

A police vehicle struck at Zojila Pass during rescue operation. -Excelsior/Shakeel
A police vehicle struck at Zojila Pass during rescue operation. -Excelsior/Shakeel

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 15: As the Meteorological Department today forecast improvement in the weather conditions, the Border Roads Organization (BRO) started massive snow clearance operation in Zojila area of Srinagar-Leh National Highway that was closed for traffic early this week due to heavy snowfall in the region.
A MeT official said that weather will remain dry next week. “Weather is likely to improve in Jammu and Kashmir from today. We are expecting dry weather till November 21,” he said.
The BRO this morning started massive snow clearance operation in Zojila area of Srinagar-Leh Highway where several feet of snow had accumulated this week. The men and machinery of the BRO was pressed into service both from Gurmi and Sonamarg and half of the road was cleared despite several snow avalanches that had blocked the highway.
Senior Superintendent of Police Traffic Rural, Muzaffar Ahmad Shah, said that the snow clearance at Zojila may take another day and decision to re-open the highway for traffic will be taken tomorrow.
Station House Officer (SHO) Police Station Sonamarg and his team had a narrow escape at Zojila pass on Srinagar-Kargil highway last evening when an avalanche hit the area. The rescue team was clearing the stranded vehicles at Zojila when avalanche hit the road.
The SHO said it started snowing heavily when they were clearing the stranded vehicles and a couple of avalanches hit the road during the rescue operation.
He said that the rescue team included police personnel from police station Sonamarg, Traffic Police personnel and Beacon officials.
The Mughal road is also closed for traffic since early this week and the SSP Traffic said that it may take few days to clear it as the snow avalanches have blocked the road at many places.
There has been fresh snowfall in Sonamarg, Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Peer Ki Gali, Drass, Gurez and other mountainous areas of the State while light rains lashed the plains during this week.
The snowfall and rains led to dip in the temperatures. However, the night temperatures showed some improvement.
Kargil continued to be the coldest in the State as the minimum temperature dropped to a minus 6.8 degrees Celsius while the day temperature settled at 7.4 degree Celsius . Leh town recorded a minus 2.8 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature and day temperature settled at 6.4 degree Celsius.
The night’s lowest temperature in Srinagar was recorded at 3.3 degree Celsius while day temperature settled at 11.6 degree Celsius which is 4.8 degree Celsius below normal. The night temperature of Pahalgam settled at minus 3.0 degree Celsius in Pahalgam while day temperature settled at 13.2 degree Celsius which is 3.5 degree Celsius below normal. The night temperature at Gulmarg settled at minus 4.0 degree Celsius while day temperature settled at minus 0.2 degree Celsius which is 6.8 degree Celsius below normal.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here