Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 4: Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) today issued high avalanche danger warning in parts of North Kashmir after continuous snowfall in the hills for past three days.
A senior official said here that High danger avalanche warning has been issued by SASE through State Disaster Management Authority for higher reaches of Chowkibal, Nawgam, Tangdhar, Machil, Gurez in the hilly areas of North Kashmir.
“It has also issued a Medium danger avalanche warning for Banihal, Khilanmarg, Sonamarg, Zojila, Furkiyan, Drass and Kargil”, the official said.
The official said: “People living in these snow bound areas have been requested to exercise extreme caution, especially areas where High danger avalanche warning has been issued. The warning is valid for the next 24 hours.”
It has been snowing in the hills of Kashmir since Sunday that has led to the avalanche warning. The plains of the Kashmir valley received intermittent rains at several places since Sunday. It was raining at several places in Kashmir today with chilly winds blowing across the region and hills continued to receive snowfall.
The slippery road conditions in the meantime forced the authorities to close the National Highway for traffic this evening after fresh snowfall in the Banihal sector. It started snowing in the evening and road was slippery but traffic was plying.
The Inspector General of Police, Traffic Muneer Ahmad Khan told Excelsior that Border Roads Organizations (BRO) pressed into service their men and machinery to clear snow from the National Highway on either side of the Jawahar Tunnel and the road was re-opened for one-way traffic from Jammu to Srinagar by 10 a.m. It may be mentioned here that due to snowfall and slippery road conditions the national highway was closed last evening for traffic but by then all the Jammu bounds vehicles had crossed the Jawahar Tunnel.
The IGP traffic said that around 1500 vehicles including 600 passenger vehicles crossed the Banihal Tunnel till evening from Jammu to Srinagar. He said that more vehicles are being allowed but due to slippery road conditions that traffic was stopped during the night.
Khan said that if weather permits the traffic will ply from Srinagar to Jammu tomorrow. He has asked the commuters to check with the local Traffic Control Rooms in Kashmir about the status of the highway before travelling.
A MeT official in the meantime said that the freak weather will continue till Friday and there will be occasional rains in the plains of the State and snow in the hills. “The day temperature will remain low till Friday, however, night temperature will show improvement during the freak weather”, the MeT official added.
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