Fayaz Bukhari/ Gopal Sharma
SRINAGAR/JAMMU, Dec 22: Kashmir valley received season’s first snowfall disrupting movement of traffic on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and closing all the mountain passes that lead to Valley while two girls died in North Kashmir’s Gurez area near the Line of Control (LoC) due to a snow slide.
According to reports reaching here from North Kashmir, around 7 feet snowfall was recorded along the LoC in Karnah, Keran, Macchil and Gurez sector triggering snow slides at several places.
In Tulail area of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district two girls who had gone to nearby Kishanganga river to fetch water died due to snow slide. The girls have been identified as Dilshada Bano, 15, and Sahfiqa Bano, 18. They had gone to fetch water last evening in village Kilshay Gunde Gulshan but didn’t return home and a massive search rescue operation was launched during which body of Dilshada Bano, was recovered from the snow. The search for Sahfiqa was on till the last reports came in.
The snow closed Sadna Pass, Furqian Top, Razdan Pass, Banihal Pass while Pirki Gali and Zogila Passes were already closed.
IGP Traffic, Muneer Khan told Excelsior that heavy snowfall near Banihal Tunnel and Patnitop disrupted the movement of the traffic along the 300 kilometre long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway throughout the day.
Khan said that around one and a half feet snow had accumulated in Banihal and Patnitop areas and Border Roads Organization (BRO) pressed their machinery into service early in the morning to clear the snow but slippery road conditions hampered movement of the traffic.
The IGP said that around 500 passenger vehicles were cleared today on the National Highway despite freak weather and over 600 are still stranded.
Khan said around 150-200 Jammu bound passenger vehicles have been stopped at Chanderkote and Batote due to slippery road conditions in Patnitop area. “Around 100-150 Srinagar bound passenger vehicles have been stopped at Banihal due to slippery road conditions at Banihal tunnel. At Udhampur, over 300 vehicles including load carriers have been stopped from going ahead to Srinagar”, he said.
The IGP said that around 400-500 vehicles were cleared during the day after the clearance of snow at Banihal Tunnel and Patnitop area of the Highway. He said that early morning no traffic was allowed on the highway due to snowfall but later some passenger vehicles were allowed to ply on the highway between 12 noon to 2 p.m.
Khan said that if weather permits, the stranded vehicles on the National Highway will be cleared tomorrow and day after one way traffic will be allowed on the highway.
The IGP said that Jammu-Doda highway is open but there is problem of slippery road condition at Patnitop while Jammu-Poonch highway is through.
Earlier in the morning, people in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir valley woke to a thin blanket of snow. Srinagar and parts of North Kashmir mostly witnessed around one inch snowfall and sun came out in the afternoon that led to melting of the snow blanket.
The average snow depth measured at Gulmarg is 9 inches; Yousmarg 4 inches; Aharbal 5 inches; Hirpora Shopian 7 inches; Dandwad Chimer Kulgam 12 inches; Verinag 6 to 9 inches; Chowgund Kammar area 12 inches; Indu Kachwan Shangus 12 inches; Pahalgam 8 inches; Aru Pahalgam 10 inches; Naristan Vangund Tral 6 inches and Vangath Batagund Chatragul 5 inches
Reports said that at Aru in Pahalgam, a Russian couple who had got stranded due to snow were rescued by a team of engineers and maintenance staff of the Mechanical Engineering Department by deploying a snow machine and clearing the entire stretch of Pahalgam Aru road which enabled them to drive back to the town.
Reports from Bhaderwah, Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi, Doda and Kishtwar districts said that fresh snowfall was recorded in upper reaches of these places and light showers in Jammu and the plains on Saturday night.
A Meteorological Department official said that light rain or snow may occur at a few places in the State, with a decrease in precipitation in the next two days.
The official said here that the minimum temperature increased from minus 3.9 degree Celsius to settle at a low of 0.3 degree Celsius last night.
The official said Qazigund in South Kashmir recorded a low of 0.2 degree Celsius, compared to the previous night’s minus 3.2 degree Celsius.
Kokernag, in South Kashmir, which recorded a low of minus 2.2 degree Celsius the previous night, registered a low of minus 1.4 degree Celsius.
Kupwara, in North Kashmir, recorded a rise of three degrees in the night temperature as the mercury settled at a low of 0.3 degree Celsius compared to the previous night’s minus 3.1 degree Celsius.
Pahalgam received a low of minus 2.4 degree Celsius, over two degrees rise as against the previous night’s minus 5.6 degree Celsius.
The official said the night temperature at Gulmarg was recorded a low of minus 6.6 degree Celsius, compared to minus 7 degree Celsius the previous night.
The night temperature also increased in Leh, in the frontier region of Ladakh, as the mercury settled at a low of minus 6.2 degree Celsius, against minus 12.4 degree Celsius the previous night.
Meanwhile, chilling cold has sent shivers to the people in the entire region while several trains were delayed and one flight cancelled due to fog and bad weather today whereas, Trikuta hills of Mata Vashnodevi and Patnitop tourist resort of Jammu region experienced fresh snow fall of the season.
The train service has been badly affected as many trains were arriving late by two to eight hours whereas, vehicular traffic has also been hit with the fog and haze. Several flights were delayed by one to two hours due to bad weather. However, most of the flights operated between Jammu, Delhi and Srinagar except one.
Mata Vashnodevi shrine in Katra experienced first snowfall as around 12000 pilgrims were on their way to pay homage to the Goddess. Patnitop and Bhaderwah towns of Jammu region experienced over one feet snowfall while Mughal road has been closed due to heavy snowfall in Pir Gali area of Pir Panjal.
The Basohli-Bani and Dudu-Basantgarh roads have also been closed besides several link roads in Doda and Kishtwar areas of Jammu region. The power supply to Bani and adjoining areas has also been snapped due to heavy snow fall.
Jammu’s night temperature considerably decreased during the night while the day temperature slightly improved. The fog was slightly less as compared to last two days whereas, the sky remained partially cloudy. There was light rain and snowfall in many hilly areas. The upper reaches of Rajouri and Poonch also experienced snowfall from 6 inch to one foot.
A Northern Railway spokesman said that Pooja Express was late by seven hours, Malwa Express 5 hours, Himgiri four hours, Tata Moori three hours, Jhelum three hours, Utter Sampark Kranti by two and half hours where as most of the other trains were late by two hours today due to fog and poor visibility.
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