Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Feb 4: With improvement in weather, Jammu-Srinagar National Highway today re-opened for traffic and air traffic also resumed to Srinagar but the threat of avalanches has increased in the hills of the State.
After three days of freak weather and snowfall, the weather improved today and the air traffic to Srinagar airport that remained disrupted yesterday was resumed. All the flights landed at Srinagar airport and the yesterday’s backlog was also cleared.
IGP Traffic, Muneer Ahmad Khan told Excelsior that around 3.5 feet snow had accumulated on either side of the Jawahar Tunnel and Border Roads Organization (BRO) pressed its men and machinery into service early in the morning and cleared the snow.
The IGP said that at 8.30 am the National Highway was thrown open for one-way traffic from Srinagar to Jammu. He said that around 1900 trucks and over 1600 Light Motor Vehicles were allowed to ply on the highway. He said that majority of these vehicles have crossed the Patnitop and are on their way to Jammu.
Khan said that since the highway in Jawahar Tunnel area was slippery, first the Light Motor Vehicles were allowed to ply on the highway and it was followed by the empty Heavy Motor Vehicles and later loaded trucks were allowed to ply on the highway
The IGP said that traffic will be allowed to ply from Jammu to Srinagar tomorrow. “However, they have to follow the cut off time for crossing Nagrota and Udhampur”, he added.
And in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir valley, the Sun came out in the afternoon and brought respite to the people from the cold wave conditions. The snow in parts of Kashmir where it had accumulated started melting, water-logging the roads.
The clear weather and sunny day after the snowfall has led to the threat of snow avalanches in upper reaches of the State.
There was also danger of snow avalanche and landslides on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, particularly during the day when the sky remains clear.
An official spokesman said high danger avalanche warnings were issued for avalanche-prone areas in Bandipora district. There is also medium danger avalanche threat in avalanche-prone areas in Baramulla, Kupwara, Uri, in north Kashmir, Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama in south Kashmir and Ganderbal in central Kashmir and Kargil in Ladakh region following heavy snowfall recently.
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