Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Jan 18: With heavy snowfall in Kashmir, Jammu-Srinagar National Highway that was closed for traffic yesterday will remain closed for tomorrow and the authorities have issued fresh avalanche warning in parts of North Kashmir.
Although Meteorological Department has forecast improvement in weather, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Traffic, Muneer Ahmad Khan, said here that the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway will remain closed for Saturday due to heavy snowfall in Banihal sector.
The IGP said that it was snowing heavily in Banihal and Patnitop areas of the highway that forced the closure of the highway. He said that Border Roads Organization (BRO) cleared the highway thrice today but the continuous snow hampered restoration of the traffic on the highway.
The IGP said that if weather improves the snow clearance will start early in the morning and Srinagar bound stranded passengers will be cleared first tomorrow. He said that there are 33 Light passenger vehicles and three buses stranded in Banihal and 30 Light vehicles stranded at Ramban and top priority will be to clear these vehicles tomorrow. “This will be followed by the clearance of the Srinagar bound load carriers carrying essential supplies”, he added.
Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Highway also remained closed due to heavy snowfall and no trans-LoC trade took place between Srinagar and Muzaffarbad today.
The air traffic to Kashmir valley also remained disrupted due to snowfall and poor visibility at Srinagar International Airport. Authorities here said that no flights landed or took off from Srinagar today.
The overnight snowfall sapped power distribution lines plunging almost entire Kashmir valley in darkness. However, Chief Engineer Maintenance and Rural Electrification Muzaffar Matoo told Excelsior that power supply to Srinagar has been restored while power has been restored to 75 per cent areas of South Kashmir and 30 per cent of North Kashmir. He said that PDD is working to restore the power supply to entire Kashmir by tomorrow.
Matoo said that power distribution lines were snapped due to the snowfall, however, there was no damage to transmission lines.
In the meantime, authorities issued a high danger avalanche warning for higher reaches of Naugam, Kaiyan and Gurez sector for the next 24 hours.
The medium danger avalanche warning has also been issued for higher reaches of Chowkibal, Tangdhar, Keran, Machil, Sonamarg, Gulmarg and Uri. People staying in snow bound area of these locations have been advised not to venture in avalanche prone area.
The authorities said here that Ski rest of Gulmarg had fresh snowfall of 4 feet, Tangmarg 3 feet and Jawarhar Tunnel recorded 2.5 feet of fresh snow.
The snow depth at the other places is Srinagar 6 inches, Budgam 7 inches, Charar e Sharief one feet, Phakherpora 6 inches, Beerwah 1.3 feet, Ganderbal 7 inches, Gund 2 feet, Sonmarg 2.6 feet, Kangan one feet , Pahalgam 2 feet, Anantnag 6 inches, Awantipora 5 inches, Shopian 2 feet, Herpora 3.5 feet, Kellar 3 feet, Pulwama one feet, Baramulla one feet, Baba Reshi 3.5 feet, Pattan 1.6 feet, Chandoosa 3 feet, Uri around 2 feet, Sopore one feet, Handwara 10 inches, Bandipora one feet, Gurez 2 feet, Tuleil 3 feet, Kupwara 6 one feet, Karna 2 feet.
Authorities said that Mechanical Engineering Department started road clearance during last night and majority of the roads were cleared by evening.
Meanwhile, Budgam Police today shifted a pregnant woman to the hospital, who was stuck due to road blockade caused by heavy snowfall in Khag area.
Police Khag headed by SHO Zahoor Ahmad shifted a pregnant lady Afroza Akhter, resident of Chakpora, who was stuck in the village Aripanthan due to the road blockade caused by heavy snowfall. The lady was shifted to Sub-District Hospital, Magam partly on stretcher and partly in a police vehicle. The timely help by the police saved the life of the lady and the new born. Locals of the area appreciated the role of Khag Police in providing timely help to the lady.
A TATA Sumo belonging to Nazir Ahmed, resident of Kalaruch had skidded off the road near Gujjar and Bakarwal Hostel, Kupwara due to heavy snowfall last night. With no assistance forthcoming, Nazir Ahmed immediately contacted Army camp in Kupwara for help.
The Army team comprising of a recovery vehicle and vehicle mechanic reached the spot immediately. Notwithstanding the inclement weather, the recovery vehicle extricated the Tata Sumo at around 1300h without any damage to the civil vehicle.
The prompt action by the Army in recovering the vehicle of a stranded civilian was appreciated by all the civilians in the area.
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